So Much For My Happy Ending
by radiolover1029
Summary: Trolls? Wicked queens? Poisoned apples? A prince who turns into a dog and vice versa? All of which plus more are in store for Virgina's sister, Angelica, and her family as they cross over to the 9 Kingdoms- each ruled by a fairytale legend. Through loyalty, adventure, love, and mystery, Angelica must decide what's real and what's fantasy. Wendell Prince /oc
1. Chapter 1

The 10th Kingdom – Chapter 1: Once Upon a Time

**Hey! So I decided that I would submit these stories in because they are already started and I love this mini-series. Wish they had a sequel :( Generally, I'm going to try to go through the whole story line from beginning to end because you have to understand it from all perspectives. Hopefully it meets to your expectations! :) **

* * *

Angelica Lewis has always wished for a Do-Over; where she can spin her life in reverse and do it the right way. Ever since she was a little girl she always dreamt of a fairytale ending, with her knight-in-shining-armor whisking her away from the dumpy New York apartment and into a land of fantasy and magic. But that was only in kids' stories, right? Where the heroes slay the dragons and the princesses are in distress from a high tower or in rags with 'no possible chance' to escape the life they are leading.

Angelica was a Cinderella, she was waiting for her fairy godmother (or anyone really)- to give her the encouragement and nudge to go to the ball (mostly just getting a nicer job and home)- and ride off into the sunset with Prince Charming (or the nicest guy she can grab would do nicely). She led a simple life and now she wanted the impossible. With each passing year, her hopes diminished and the candles were about to be put out. That was until a fateful day in the loud, noisy New York city that changed Angelica, her older sister Virginia, and her father forever… Or at least for those days.

"Angel, you ready?" asked her older sister using her nickname as she combed back her hair. Angelica Lewis was sitting at the bedside window gazing at the horizon. Her eye gleamed over the painted colors of the sunset. The hues of orange mingled with the faint pinks and purples for a bright yellow glow. The skyscraper buildings loomed over wide shadows on the busy street below. People on their cellular phones and mothers taking aside naughty children, crowded the sidewalks. It was same thing each sunset right before she and her older sister by a year, Virginia, headed to their third shift minimum paying job as a waitress at a local grill house.

The 20 year-old looked at the same view as she hugged her knees and sighed heavily. She fixed at her dark blue shorts over her black leggings. She wore a tan camisole under her dark blue jacket with a hood. She zipped up the jacket halfway and plaited her hair as a side swept braid. Angel inspected in a small hand mirror. Looking at every piece and crevice of her face, she smoothed back her forest brown hair. Her pale skin was flawless with freshly trimmed eyebrows. Her hazel eyes followed her mirror twin's face.

"Ready for another boring day in New York City?" she asked herself. Not expecting anything, she muttered, "That's what I thought,"

Virginia popped her head in the share bedroom. Virginia had mousy brown hair with the kindest blue eyes she's seen. Her fair skin was barely seen with her blue jacket over the white camisole and her black biker shorts over fitting yoga pants. She had her Docker shoes on and held her hair bark ready to fix it.

"Hey, so do you know what dad wants for supper?" she asked already knowing her sister's answer. Angel shrugged.

"Not sure, might as well leave him the leftovers before they smell," she suggested.

Tony Lewis, once the bachelor with his own business now more or less a janitor in the apartment they live in. He picks up small jobs to make rent but with the extra small wages coming from his daughters, they can barely scrap by. It was Angel's dream to add her money to pay for a small community college to get a degree in Political Arts. So far she had a couple thousand from tips. Angel bit her lip.

Virginia wanted to cook as often as she can but with the pot of money they had it became a regular night of boxed dinner trays and order-ins. Angelica knew the family needed money but she wanted something for herself without feeling the need to sacrifice. Angel and her sister sacrificed a further in education to help with the rent and meet ends meet. Virginia wanted to pursue culinary school but with no tuition money coming through and no available jobs can be promoted at the restaurant they currently work at without some knowledge in food, she had to hold off her dream.

Angelica wasn't going to do that. Even though a year younger she can still have her dreams partially come through. With the money saved up, she calculated another two months worth of good tips and pay might be able to apply for a scholarship.

She walked to the kitchen where Virginia was fixing a dinner for their dad when he finally stops work for the day. With six jobs and a landlord who won't stop barking, it was hard to tell when a day's work is done. Their apartment was smaller than the rest and needed to be clean. But with their jobs and trying to help out, it never got done and thus clutter upon clutter of useless junk and strange odors facilitated in the kitchen and living room space.

Because of their money situation, no one could afford a car. Tony sold the last car years ago and the money slipped through his hand faster than he had a grip on it. But they did manage to scrap up enough money to buy two decent bikes as transportation. Angelica lifted her blazing green and white bike and had a hold of Virginia's plain black and white bike.

"Coming?" she asked her sister.

"Yep," she said receiving the bike and stumbling their way out of the apartment. Across the hall, there was Tony Lewis all in uniform and working on the elevator shafts from the electric wires. He fumbled around the tool case to find the source of the problem. With sweat beading down from his brown hairline and frustration kicking it, he threw the pliers to the side and glared at whoever was behind him. His glaze softened. Both of his girls were carrying their bikes, all in there casual dressings to head off to work.

He said, "You see this? Look at this!" The wire in his hand was chewed up. "This has been chewed! It's not my job. This is an electrician's job, but who gets to do it? Where are you going?"

Angel rolled her eyes. "To work, dad, like we always do,"

Tony lifted a switch for the doors to open. The elevator opened to the shabby fake gold paintings with bright lights all aligned in the same direction. "Oh. On the way back use the stairs, just in case,"

Snow White Memorial Prison, 4th Kingdom, 6:02 p.m.

In another world, kept closely hidden from the unknowing humans were the Nine Kingdoms so forth named. Happily ever after did happen and the stories were true- Cinderella, Snow White, and all the other fables happened throughout these lands. People in these nine Kingdoms looked up to the legendary fabled leaders. Back then in the Golden Ages, the princesses became Queens and soon after brought peace and prosperity to the lands.

But happy endings do end at one point. And currently the Nine Kingdoms are hoping the fate rest on a noble prince of the 4th Kingdom, where lies in the heart and covers the most land of the Nine. Prince Wendell, grandson of the deceased Snow White former Queen in the Golden Ages, has a lot on his plate. What with his coronation coming up and the high prospects of a hopeful future for everyone.

Our attention draws to the most fearsome prison to ever contain a large variety of crooks and wrong-doers. The Snow White Memorial Prison was made to punish the unjust and retain their morals to the virtues of the people in the Golden Age. Unfortnately the years have swept up many thieves alike and the chances of a clean and prosperous happily ever after dimmed for many.

The castle prison estate covered most on higher ground and on the Outer Provinces, miles away from any neighboring village. Not one prisoner has ever escaped in the past two decades and its upstanding record speaks for itself for the most gruesome characters and shadings. The brimstone lining of the prison proved strong and firm like an iron fist. Outside hanging just above the balconies were human-sized cages with already dead victims. The tortured skulls were frozen with fear as their rags and the vultures gnawed whatever meat left on the bone and pesky ravens on occasion.

Inside a shadow of a figure emerges into a hallway in the deep of the prison hallway. The outlining can just barely give away a distorted figure but otherwise near impossible to detect this invisible creature. Up ahead the target was in range, a prison guard making his evening rounds. His jangling keys were eyed upon as they made the bend.

Feeling an odd disturbance the prison guard turned around ready for the catch. Nothing and no one was there. He called out, "Who's there?" When all was silent, he turned back around and continued pacing.

But he heard a noise coming from nowhere. A sharp turn about and he could have sworn a trickle in reality was waving. He opened his mouth again but was instantly silenced by a spray of pink sparkling powder dust. His eyes lolled back and he fell to the floor, asleep.

The mysterious figure reached down to open the key latch. The keys appeared to be floating in mid-air until a trail of gold shimmer enticed the keys and disappeared along with it. Whatever the stranger came for was certainty breaking a prisoner out with the set of jail keys.

* * *

Outer Provinces 6:03 p.m.

Around the same time, the royal carriage draped in gold and white with red plume feathers at the top wheeled its way by horses and footmen on their way to the very Prison. Inside was a distraught and equally bored Prince Wendell looking dully at the scenery of wheat field upon wheat field. His companion sat opposite on the purple seats. He had white buzzed hair with a grandfather-ish gleam. His eyes narrowed at the Prince for lacking his posture and the grand outfits they both wore were decorated in medals and sashes according to their royal status.

"So where are we exactly going?" the Prince asked curiously hoping it would satisfy his bored state.

"To Beantown, in the southwest province of your kingdom sir. You're accepting the throne that the craftsmen made sir, for your coronation," the royal councilman said.

The Prince resisted the urge to groan and so he looked away with rolling eyes. With a hint of a whine he demanded, "Well is it much further? Can't we stop and go hunting or something?"

The older man huffed at the twenty year-old man in front of him. Always wanting to have fun, but never sit down to do the work for it. The councilmen sighed. "Very shortly, sir, we must make a brief stop at the Snow White Memorial Prison,"

Wendell thought about his grandmother shortly. She was a legend and a magnificent Queen. One day he wanted to be somewhat like her instead of in the shadows of her success even if she was dead. People whispered how Wendell would be just like her and change things for the better of the 4th Kingdom. With so much heaviness on his shoulders, Wendell grew bored of a royal life and wanted to start fresh and away from anything dealing with the throne. He knew as soon as he was coronate a King, no more regular hunting trips or the little things he enjoyed such as horse back riding at leisure. It would be all paper work, treaties, meet a King's daughter here and there, and then finally settle down until he, with pleasure, hands down the throne and retires to his hunting lodge.

"Ugh, I hate these outer provinces. The people are so common,"

The man calmed his Prince down not wanting an uprising. "Your stepmother had applied for parole again, which we of course turned down,"

Wendell could never forget his stepmother. The one lady to single-handedly poisoned his mother and father and then eventually started to strike him down. She took not only his freedom and life, but his loving parents that he already no longer remembered anymore thanks to the Queen. She was thankfully caught and sentenced for life in the prison where Wendell hoped every day she would rot in there for the crimes she committed and the cruelty she had become.

He fluffed a head pillow and placed it on the back of his head as the nobleman named Lord Childs continued, "It's simply a routine courtesy visit,"

Wendell couldn't wait to get out of the carriage and be back on the hunt.

* * *

The stranger passed all the cells. Unknowing to its contents, trouble was stirring. He shoved the key into the hole of a steel barred door. On a little plaque on the door read the names of three occupants who were all siblings- Blabberwort, Bluebell, and Burly, the three haunting trolls from the Third Kingdom. There posted sentence of three years told the guards of how long pillaging and other crimes of nature they performed to earn those years.

The stranger opened the door to find the two males and one female. However since they were trolls, no one could tell the difference between their names and gender. Burly, the tallest and eldest had blackened hair spiked back as a mullet. He had a bone piercing in his nostrils and the tattered yellowed teeth guarded the stench from his mouth.

Next to him was his sister Blabberwort. She wore chest plate armor and wrist guards. Her awful pink reddish hair stuck in odd places. Her long pointed ears were filled with piercings. Her eyes filled with murder and nostrils huffed for whatever she had to face.

And the last but never the least was Bluebell. He had jet-black hair spiked in the front. His huge honk of a nose twitched in anxiety. He was darker than his fair brother and tan sister but the mischievous glint in his eyes told strangers he was the prankster and foolish one in the group.

They began fighting incessantly for whom to confront the invisible stranger. "Stop it!" the sister cried.

"You go!"

"No you!"

The mystery invisible stranger revealed his whereabouts. "You're pathetic. Call yourselves trolls? You should be ashamed," he scolded harshly. His voice rough with no sincerity or gesture of empathy. The older coarser voice shrieked in the trolls' ears like nails on chalkboard.

Burly said, "Sorry Dad,"

Blabberwort said, "Sorry Dad,"

The last of the trio offered a faint smile. "Won't happen again, Dad,"

The voice continued, "This is the last time I come and rescue you,"

Burly stepped forward in repentance. "C'mon dad, take off the magic shoes?"

"I can handle them," he grumbled as two golden shoes with each a small crown placed at the bell of the shoes. Out stepped another troll, bigger, meaner, and definitely more terrifying. He had black spiky hair, a crown resting at the top of his thick spikes. He wore the same biker leather clothing of his children. His tusks of teeth gleamed in a snarl. Hands on his head, he grabbed for the wall in support.

Relish the Troll King would most certainly punish his three children for the headache for the price of his traveling.

* * *

In the elevator, Tony pulled a couple switches to manually operate the elevator. As the elevator cruised down, Angel fixed her hair. Virginia situated both of the bikes in case of any more passengers waiting to board.

"You know what I'm starting to think? I'm starting to think that the only kind of people in this country is guys like me," Tony said taking a good sip of his beer.

Angel and Virginia shared a glance and rolled their eyes. Here goes another Tony speech about how he worked for so long and so many jobs that he shouldn't be the only one out there to be reprimanded for the delay in many of his responsibilities.

"You know guys that work for scraps, do six jobs-who basically bend over and take it. Give it fifteen years tops; this country is finished with democracy. I'm telling you as a caring society, where we do things for each other, we got one thing after another- we are finished here!" he lectured.

Angel said, "So are you saying that the caring part of society would resign and leaving all the jobs free to higher standing citizens who are giving free tax breaks, which is the main reason why the economy hasn't begun to bounce back yet? Thus, with what you have said within these fifteen years, we would simply pick up where we left off in the Great Depression, leaving most of America in a worser poverty all because the little men aren't fully recognized for their work?"

Virginia smirked at her sister. She patted her on the shoulder. Angel's insight stunned her father and he kept opening and closing his mouth not knowing how to retaliate.

"Your barbeque ribs are on top of the microwave," Virginia said filling in the silence. The elevator dinged and the doors opened to the spiffy mean landlord in his usual suit and tie. His hair was slicked back and carried a business portfolio.

"Tony, I've been calling this elevator for the last half hour! I thought you fixed it?" the landlord said revealing his miniature look alike- his son probably around 10.

"It is sir, but its broken again," Tony put on a fake smile.

He sneered, "Don't take all night on it, you've got to take a look on that boiler! It's driving everyone crazy. There's air in the pipes, the whole system has to be drained and blazed,"

"I know sir. I just got to fix the leak in number nine and then I'm right on it," Another fake smile with a thumbs from Tony, the landlord and the creature of the son staring at Angel intensely left at the main level. Before they left the landlord had one more thing to say.

"Tony, I'm only going to tell you this once. There are an awful lot of people that would love your job. An awful lot,"

"Yes sir," he said bluntly. Once they left with an air of snobbish attitude Tony whispered over to his girls. "Drain the system, I would like to drain his system!"

The girls chorused as they wheeled their bikes out, "Bye Daddy,"

Being the caring father, he reminded them, Oh, oh listen, don't go through the park,"

"We know," Angel rolled her eyes knowing fully well that was their intended path of travel.

"Do you have a coat? You'll get cold. Oh what did you fix me for dinner-" The elevator closed leaving the girls free of his voice.

Virginia asked as they got on the bikes, "Why does Dad act like he can care when we are grown up already?"

Angel shrugged, "Mid-life crisis?"

"Hasn't he already passed that?"  
Angel remained silent as both of them rode the streets of New York. Pedaling swiftly to make it on time, they use the short cut through Central Park. There was nothing wrong with making the trip through the park… except for the occasional weirdo trying to sell something. The sisters continued pedaling on with no disturbances. Virginia re-adjusted the strap of her small backpack skillfully. Angel eyed the scenery and breathed a sigh of relief. She never liked all the noise and just in general the busyness of New York City. She would rather retreat to the country where everything wasn't the same or constructed over.

_Wish I could live in the forest, _she thought.

* * *

Walking through the halls of prison, the Troll King named right so for his desire to fight- Relish- led the way without the help of his all powerful glittering invisibility-granting shoes. His scrambling children not-so quietly arguing over nothing in particular; Relish eyed for any more guards. He already aimed at many of them.

Troll Dust had the effect to make people instantly asleep. It was their secret weapon for winning many wars and battles. The formula was beat out of the scientist in the 6th Kingdom, but due to the hundred-year curse, the ruler and her people are trapped in an eternal sleep. The key to unlocking the curse is in an impossible solving curse. One of the scientists appointed for that task discovered the glittering pink dust around the area and perfected an exact copy in the 3rd Kingdom for research.

But when Relish took over the entire Kingdom, all their secrets were told in return for their freedom. The scientist agreed such a price and showed the trolls how to make the powder. After killing the scientist, trolls made infinite amounts for their militaristic government and ever since they named it Troll Dust.

Relish released another pinch of the powder from a slingshot to a guard. He dropped down from drowsiness and they continued their trek out.

_"Wait!" _A voice from Relish's head screamed delicately. _"Come to me, come to me,"_ the voice commanded. He held his head and his children swamped around him. Relish, intrigued by such a voice and with much authority laced in, followed the voice. He headed with his troll children to the Maximum Security Wing for whatever was down there.

At the same time, the royal carriage pulls in. The horses stood their stance as the Prince walked out. He looked at the mucky floor and heard the distinct vulture calls from the cages above.

Wendell's nose scrunched up. "Well this is marvelous isn't it? Not exactly the red carpet treatment,"

Childs came right behind him, remembering not to scold the king-to-be. "I'm sure they haven't forgotten our visit, Your Majesty,"

Rules were posted on a wall telling the Prison Guards to take extreme precaution.

Maximum Security Wing: Prison Guards: DO NOT ENTER ALONE. DO NOT ENTER UNATTENDED. DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT GOVERNORS APPROVAL!

Relish, the fearsome, scoffed at the rules and continued down the hall to the only occupied locked up cell room in the wing. Burly read the rules and his siblings froze with a sort of nervous.

"Sucking elf," he cursed in the Troll language.

Blabberwort feared, "You were right,"

"Maximum security, we're not suppose to be in here!" Bluebell believed.

Burly confronted their fears, "Dad! No one is ever allowed in there, this is where they keep the Queen!"

Their dad ignored the warnings and kept going down with him. A board flapped down in front of them nearly scaring them out of surprise. In red letterings for a warning, it read ABSOLUTELY NO COMMUNICATION WITH PRISONER.

The children whispered amongst themselves as he went round the obstacle in his path to the chained door.

Another board with the same lettering came down, ABOLUTELY NO PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH PRISONER.

Ignoring again, they continued. With one last effort the prison was warning the four, it had another board but with a steel basket attached at the end. NO FOOD BEYOND THIS POINT, PLACE BELOW.

_Whoever this is has committed so many crimes to have this many turn back warnings,_ he thought has he approached the long awaiting chained up with every kind of lock imaginable door.

"Dad it could be a trap-"

"-You don't know who it is!"

"Silence!" he commanded.

_"Open the door. Open the door to everything you desire," _Relish grinned and there was a small little peep hole door to open that had no locks. He opened it and saw magic auras all around. For a troll that has no magic besides the urge to kill, he found magic traced all around the cell. Sitting by a window, a middle-aged lady cloaked in a green cape, hood on, and her deep purple dress stroked a golden retriever sitting besides her. Her fading deep auburn hair wrapped in the back concealed by the green velvet cloak. Her strong lip quivered into an eerie smile.

* * *

"Childs? Childs?" Wendell called. The nobleman knocked and enter the fortress leaving the prince alone pacing around the front entrance. He opened the door and saw nothing and no one there. "Hello? Childs?"

The door behind closed, leaving the Prince terrified in the semi-darkness. He turned on instinct and to his horror he found a dead Childs. His person was smashed into the thorn spiked doorway. The dangerous spike lay in his back and emerged from his stomach, ringlets of blood dripped around the hole.

"Hello Princey!" one of the trolls said popping in on the already frightened Prince. He was shoved to Bluebell and thrown amongst the trio of trolls. Wendell couldn't fight against three brutes as they slammed him into the walls and ground. Before the first shot was made, the three were arguing.

"I'll make the first shot!"

"No me!"

No! Me!"

All the while Wendell laid helpless and cowering. Then powerful voice rung in everyone's ears. "Enough!"

The lady in the purple cloak and green cloak emerged with black gloves and the Troll King at her side. Her old face seemed in a way youthful and powerful. Her beady eyes narrowed at the Prince trying to stand up against the Queen.

"You're a long away from your castle, Wendell? Perhaps you should've stayed there. My silly little stepson," she sneered.

Wendell straightened up. "Y-you will pay for this," he said using his regal attire and authority as a safe bet. But against four trolls and a powerful Queen the chances were extremely thin.

"Oh on the contrary I think you will beg at my feet for food," she grinned as she mocked a curtsy. She moved her green cloak to the golden retriever. His muffle was removed and was wagging his tail waiting to stretch out his legs. The Queen petted the creature.

"You know what this is? This is a very special kind of dog. This is a magical dog. I hope you like dogs Wendell. You're going to spend the rest of your life as one," she said with malicious intent.

The golden retriever moved onto his path of travel and stood on his legs to touch the Prince. Wendell nearly fell back not knowing what to expect. The world spun and Wendell watched as the dog slowly started to change. The metamorphous transformation started a the dog's face. The nose shifted into a human sized on, the eyes a bit clearer and smaller, and his golden fur turned to the exact golden hair color of the prince. The dog was becoming an exact copy of him!

But at the same moment, Wendell felt shrunken. His face stretched out an his hair grew everywhere as fur. The same fur as the golden retriever replaced his uniform. He became to walk on all fours.

Finally whatever magic the Evil Queen performed was completed. Prince Wendell looked up at himself. The supposed Prince lolled his dog and tucked his arms in as if to beg for food. He chased around looking for the no longer tail. The Prince waged his tail and seemed incredulous to all the world.

Someone was impersonating him and the Queen glowed in whatever light she shined in. She smirked. "Come come, Prince Wendell. You don't greet guests on all fours, do you?" She looked down upon him. The four trolls joined a rambunctious laughter.

Wendell, the golden retriever, did what he thought best- run. He sprinted with new endurance out of the view of the Queen and to figure out a plan to get his body back later. He barked hoping someone would find him and alert the prisoner escape.

"Get him!" Relish ordered.

The Queen's eyes widened. She knew the spineless brat was a coward but to never run away from a fight. "Stop him! Bring him back to me alive!"

"Don't worry he's not going anywhere!" Burly promised emptily. The three made their way.

Blabberwort assured the Queen, "He can't escape; we're in a prison!" It wasn't a time for small jokes when the Queen's plans could be thwarted by an idiot troll search and seizure. The trolls would be unpredictable and she needed a spy and a hunter to track the Prince before it was too late.

She looked at the imposter Wendell who was running around idiotically. "Well Your Highness, just what do you have to say for yourself?"

He whined with his new voice, "W-w-where's my tail gone?"

* * *

Nothing new or interesting happened as she pedaled away with her sister. There was always something, but tonight nothing. She looked at the road ahead where some bricks lay… Brick by boring brick paved into the walkway. She rolled her eyes and started looking up at the night sky. The stars were never in the exact same place twice.

The gleaming fire balls starred around the inky black night sky, twinkling in the distance of some far off galaxy where boring is never imaginable and the inconceivable is possible.

_I wish my life could change… Something drastic. Something exciting and wonderful… Somewhere away from a life in a run down apartment with a father who never seemed to care, and a sister that could have the faith and confidence she once had… Somewhere where I could be myself and no one could question me for my actions even if they are quite silly… But I understand now I'll never have that happily ever after mom always told us, tucking us in our rooms reading us tales of romance and adventure… So much for my happy ending,_ she had thought as she cast her eyes away from the starlit night.

* * *

The Queen marched down the barracks where the prisoners were rowdy and liked to make some noise. "Give me some food! I haven't had any since yesterday," one man had said looking at the terrible Queen.

She raised an eyebrow and had the urge to smite all these criminal's pathetic throats one by one until peace and quiet was heard. "Let us out! C'mon! Just give us the key! Let us out," they cried.

But she was as forgiving as an angered tiger. None of them would do as a henchman. They were all too whiny or did not have a backbone, or a combination of both. She began to lose hope until she saw a man behind bars staring at her. He had a handsome young face with black ruffled hair, scruffy beginnings to a beard and nicely tanned complexion. His eyes darted away and his panting changed. This man was not ordinary, and the Queen knew this.

He involuntary used two fingers to barely scratch his forehead as if it was a normal twitch.

"You," she said.

"Hello," he said cheekily not wanting to displease a chance of freedom.

"What are you?" she questioned.

He said smoothly, "Me? A very very fine chap falsely-"

Her teeth gritted like rocks. "Do not make me ask again,"

He looked to and fro wondering if anyone were to see. "I'm a- (he scratched his forehead again)- Shh. –(he held a finger to his lips as his eyes turned golden and his pupils thinned like a predator waiting for the catch)- Half wolf," he said and demonstrated.

_Wolf? Excellent,_ she thought grinning from ear to ear. "If I give you your freedom, you must agree to serve me without question,"

"Oh, breakfast, lunch, dinner, I'm your wolf. Loyalty is my middle name," he said slickly.

She drawled, "I've turned Prince Wendell into a dog,"

Wolf nodded his head. "Good idea," not knowing what this has to do with anything. She stepped forward to the gated door.

"Find him… before the trolls,"

He nodded. "Trolls," he muttered as the door opened by the Queen. He made his way out, wanting to find the dog and return back to nature.

"Wait," she ordered. He did so. "Give your will to me. Be mine to summon and control. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," he said nervously. He backed away and started after the hunt for a prince-turned-dog.

The prince swiveled from passageway to hallway and to a separate corridor, whatever his legs willed him to do, the trolls refused to give way. His last choice was to lead them to a forked path. He found a stairwell to a basement. Pegging down the cold steps, there was a drainage system leading the water away from the pipes. Still on the ground, the Prince found another passage where the basement would lead to. He trickled in the water with ripples. He ran as fast as his hind legs could go.

Not too long after, the trolls mumbled their cures and whines from down the stairs. They looked at the disturbed water and assumed the dog ran to a place where his scent would be lost amongst the water particles. The trolls inched their way through.

Then not even a minute later when the trolls were out of sight, Wolf ran down the steps and sniffed through the air trying to detect the one scent of the dog. His nose burned of troll smells and odors. He turned around and growled. His hunt was tricky but he was much more cleverer than the average wolf.

Wendell ran and knocked over some of the warehouses' local junk despots and bins scattered around. Among the junk, a train collision happened as a board was moved and smashed into a nearly empty bin. Like a domino, everything fell in place. The dog hoped that at one point the dead end would show him a secret path.

The bin smashed into a few other objects that landed ungracefully on a full length mirror. The old, dusty mirror's spiraling forms at the sides and corners were proud and signified important symbols from hundreds of years ago. One of the latches that spiraled as a fake handle, broke loose and the mirror switched from the view of the confused Prince. The glow's impeccable brightness vanished as the mirror reflected a different image than of the refracted image of the Prince.

There was a forest with lights and tall structures. It was night time and on this paved road were two bikes that seemed to be heading near the bike. The Prince gazed at the mirror in wonder as he tried to make of this magic accident.

"Huff puff, what's going on here?" Wolf asked as he crouched in an offensive position ready to take down the dog. He too became entranced with the scenery. Two women on transportation system wheeled their way through a narrowing path. His focus became unclear.

The Prince took the Wolf's distraction and jumped into the mirror like it was made of air. The Wolf mesmerized himself out of the weird occasion. He grunted as the dog slipped through his grasps and breaking into the impossible- into a mirror.

* * *

Tripping out, spinning around, Wendell broke through the glass without a scratch as if the mirror was still intact but continuing to break through this foreign dimension. Hitting the ground with uneasiness, he landed on the incoming bikes. Slamming from the side, Virginia's bike sailed to the side and she might as well made a front flip. The bike away from her. Because Angelica was on the opposing side of the bike, she squished the braking pedals and fell off from the sudden jerk.

Angel scratched her cheek but the bike remained unharm. The dog laid on the ground looking seemingly dead. Virginia sat up with a pain in her head. Her forehead had a quarter-sized scratch that bled. She looked at the dog and gasped. Her bike was dented but still in working condition in a way. Her sister laid on the ground near the dog with a good sized cut on her cheek.

Rushing to help the two, she inspected the cut. "Angel! Are you alright?"

Angel stiffened but opened her eyes. Virginia helped her up. Angel took a good look at her sister with the blood. "You're bleeding," she said looking at the gash.

Virginia nodded. "I'm fine, I'm worried about you. I think you flipped over?"

"So did you… Oh my God! What happened?!" she gasped as she attended to the dog on the ground.

* * *

From another perspective of the mirror, it spat out Wolf. His dressy clothes gazed at the whole of a night in New York City. "Wow!" he said with hungry eyes. He scratches his forehead in that wolfish way before retreating in the woods for better coverage of the strange land.

Sooner or later, the trolls managed to find the glowing mirror and step through. As each blobbed out from no where, they gazed at the city life unaware of their real surroundings.

Bluebell wondered, "Sucking elf! Where are we?"

Burly added, "Wow. Get a look at that," He gestured to the buildings with various lights on. Little to their knowledge, electricity yet to be invented in their fable land.

Blabberwort had her head on. She noted, "This isn't part of the nine Kingdoms. This is a magical place. Look at all those lights,"

Stupidly, Bluebell responded, "They must go through a ton of candles!"

"Maybe we should claim this kingdom?" Blabberwort asked.

The older of the trio nodded and grabbed his axe. "Sensational idea! Let's grab it before someone else does,"

Blabberwort held her sword up in recognition and Bluebell took his dagger in the earth representing the land they claimed. Burly held the axe against to his head for the air and sky around them belonging to the Trolls.

Blabberwort claimed, "I hereby claim this land and all its inhabitants in the name of the Troll Nation. Henceforth it shall be known as… What should we call it?"

Bluebell pondered and then had an idea. "The tenth Kingdom,"

They all nodded excitedly. All responded, "The 10th Kingdom!" hoisting their weapon up.

* * *

**I don't think I do it justice buuuuuuuut still :P I am still continuing All For Love. It's just that I feel bad not giving out anything so I decided to send this in its place. Hopefully I'll get another two chapters in this weekend for AFL. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

The 10th Kingdom – Chapter 2: Everything Is Not What It Seems

* * *

The Queen paced around the halls filled with asleep guards. Her cloak swept over them like they were the scum of the earth.

She said, "In a month I will have crush the House of White, I will have Wendell's castle, and his kingdom. And for helping me escape you may have half his kingdom to rule,"

Relish's eyes became hungry as he realized just how much that was. "Half of the 4th Kingdom but its huge? What's your plan? What do I have to do?" he asked knowing there had to be some sort of catch.

"Simply allow me the use of your children until they captured the Prince for me," she said looking away from all the barred doors and to the light, which she had only seen through her cell. The warmth melted on her face as she longed to see the outside world.

"That's all?" he snapped her out of her reverie.

Her eyes froze with a brief sharp coldness. "Tell no one what you have seen of course,"

Relish grinned from pointed ear to other pointed ear. "Do I get to choose which half of the Kingdom I want?" he asked greedily.

* * *

Virginia gasped. "Oh my God, I killed it!"

Angel kneeled over to inspect the retriever. His breathing was normal and he got back to his feet like it was nothing. "Are you okay?" she asked brushing down the fur. He panted as he sat down and looked at the two girls.

Virginia relieved a sigh. "I'm sorry. Where's your master? How come you don't have a collar?" They looked around for someone that could be searching for the dog, but the weird thing was no one was around and it became eerily silent.

Angel continued stroking his back. "Virginia, we have to take him with us to work. No one is around and I don't think he belongs to anyone," Angelica looked at his crystal blue eyes and nearly smiled. She always wanted a dog, but with the little income and spending, it was unlikely. Plus not to mention the landlord's rules…

"Yeah but we can't take a _dog_ to a restaurant!" Virginia pointed out.

"Not if we can put him in the storage closet until our shift is done?" Angel reasoned.

The dog continued looking back and forth as if keeping up with the conversation. Little did they know that that they were dealing with a Prince from another world.

Virginia sighed and squatted to look a the golden retriever. Angelica pouted with puppy dog eyes and held his chin under her hands.

"Pwease? He's just a wittle dog?"

"Fine. Let's get out of here. This park is giving me the goosebumps," Virginia said involuntarily shivering. Walking the dented bikes, Angel patted her side and motioned for the dog to follow along.

The trio of trolls walked around- well more like stomping- rummaging for the Prince. Up ahead on the path, were the normal teenage couple making out on the bench. Burly pointed. He motioned for his sister and brother to sneak attack on them.

Upon approaching, Burly separated the two heads. "Ahhh. Hello!" Knocking them together, the two innocents were unconscious. The trolls laughed joyously as they searched in the bags they carried for treasures such as leather shoes.

Virginia stopped and took an intake of breath. "My wallet, it's back there!"

Angel turned around seeing how far they've come. "Ohhhh, we're almost out of the park and already late,"

"Yeah but what if somebody steals it?"

"The best thing to do is to continue to work. It's dark and barely anyone will stop by it. On the way back we can check for it after work," Angel solved the problem in her head.

The dog barked. "See? He agrees with me Virginia,"  
She rolled her eyes. "Grrrrr," she growled. "Fine. Let's go… I hate it when you have a better idea,"

Angel smirked. "It's what I do best,"

* * *

"These aren't even leather!" Bluebell hollered and throwing them behind his shoulder.

"Are there anymore shoes in there? What's this?" Blabberwort gestured to the big long box with speakers and different pushable buttons. The teenage boy was starting to come back to reality. Blabberwort hit him with the boom box. Knocking him back to unconsciousness, a button was pressed in the process. The CD played Saturday Night Fever and the trolls jerked back at the loudness and the magic performed.

After a moment or two they started to enjoy the music and pointed roguishly at the sound and beat, laughing along with the music.

They experimented and managed to shut off the groove. Continuing on with their stolen loot, they sniff out the exact spot where the girls and the Prince were.

Burly pointed. "Here! There has been an incident,"

In glee, Blabberwort said, "Ah ha! Lookie look!"

"Dog hairs," inspected Bluebell.

On the ground was the lost wallet of Virginia's. Burly picked it up and smoothed out the leather device. "Cow skin, nicey nice! Squeaky clean!"

Bluebell took over the wallet and opened it up. He dropped the valuable credit cards and paper money. Finally he found a card about the owner of the wallet. "If found please return to Virginia Lewis, Apartment 2006, #2, East eighty-one-st street," he said not knowing how to pronounce the last part of the address.

"Eighty one-st street?" they asked in confusion.

"Yeah that's what it says, eighty one-st,"

Burly decided, "Let's look over here! Run! Let's go!" Before taking off through the park.

* * *

Wolf smelled for the morsel of dog. But with no look and various odors taking over his nostrils, he couldn't pinpoint the exact smell. Then he savored a smell so familiar and so tender, he followed the smell until he found what he was dying for-

"Meat!" he exclaimed as he saw the local grill house that sat outside and inside parties.

His stomach began growling louder than his bark. He needed food and now.

* * *

The girls managed to sneak in the kitchen without confronting guests or their boss. Discarding the bikes, Angel led the dog into the kitchen. The full working kitchen staff busied themselves engorged with the food. They paid little attention to the late waitresses or to the fact a dog was in.

"Hi," Virginia said punching in her and Angel's card as their fellow waitress Candy approached them. She had short blonde hair pulled back into two buns. She had the Brooklyn accent and always chewed gum during her shifts. For the longest of time she's tried not to smoke and so chewing gum is the only resolution her and her boss can make.

"And where have you been? I've been covering for both of you!" Candy said handing Angel her apron. Angel left her new companion to put on the white apron and the pad of paper with pen in the pockets.

"Thank you," the girls thanked their friend.

Candy noticed the dried up blood on their faces and offered them a wet paper towel. "You're head! You're bleeding. What happened?" she asked concerned.

"Had a little trouble on the way," Angel said.

Virginia said sarcastically, "I smashed my bike and I've lost my wallet and I picked up a new boyfriend,"

Angel narrowed her eyes. She knelt down to the dog. "Don't listen to her, she's just crabby at- Well she's crabby all the time,"

The dog chocked on air as he was trying to laugh. Angel raised an eyebrow but dismissed it. She petted the dog that was until Candy ruined it.

"Awww! Well hello!" she said in a baby voice. The dog looked away not wanting that kind of attention.

"I hit him with my bike but I don't think he's hurt. He's not bleeding or anything,"

"I don't know he doesn't have a collar," added Angel.

Candy stroked the wrong way going against the fur. The golden retriever made a low bark and sneered at the discomfort. Angel petted with the fur causing relief for the dog.

Candy continued in her baby voice, "Hmm let's see. You look like a Rufus to me. Huh? Yes. Aww! I know,"

Angel's nose scrunched at the name. "I don't think he looks like a Rufus,"

"Then what is his name?" asked Candy a little selfishly.

Angelica pondered as she stood up and looked at the dog. "Prince,"

Virginia asked, "What?"

"I don't know, he just has that… air of royalty? Maybe he's a purebred?"

The dog barked. Candy rolled her eyes. She muttered, "Prince it is. But you can't leave him in the kitchens!"

* * *

Outside at the patio dinner-side, guests in their finest dined like royalty with the variety of meats with sides of potatoes and vegetables. Wolf gazed at the entrees and drooled.

He snarled in hunger. "Tasty!" The people looked at him briefly. He turned around to talk himself out of it. He used his wolf scratch by his forehead to think. "- Remember what ya came here for. Find the Prince, find the Prince! –scratch- But huff puff! A wolf's got to eat, doesn't he? Can't work on an empty stomach!"

He entered the dining area and smoothed back his hair before rushing to an empty seat for two. He stared at the menu provided and started planning his courses. Then as he was debating angrily about portion sizes he picked up a familiar trail.

A bit too loud he exclaimed, "I smell dog!"

Some of the guests looked at their food in disgust from overhearing the man. Wolf smiled cheekily. "Would you believe work and pleasure combine?"

* * *

Virginia and Angel situated the dog in the restaurant's storage closet. It was big enough for him to sprawl out and relax until the end of their shift.

"Okay you can stay in here and I'll try to check back when I can. Don't make any noise or you'll give me the sack," Virginia contemplated.

He barked out of envy.

"Shh! Quiet, or I'll put you outside," she whispered warning him. She gave the keys to Angel so she can dabble in her work.

She looked at Prince. He was pouting very cutely. "Don't give me that look. This is the best we can do until we are done with work. Don't worry," she said patting his head. "We'll figure out where you've come from," She offered a smile before closing the door and locking it.

Washing her hands before handling the food, she grabbed the entrees and carried them to the designated tables.

"Sorry for the wait, but I have your meals. Who ordered the filet mignon?" she asked with a smile at a party of four. One of them raised their hands. She dashed out the plates quickly with a short accost.

She slipped the keys in Virginia's hands as she took there orders.

Candy had the pleasure of serving the handsome but very odd gentleman with wolfish behaviors when it came to food.

"So the specials are lamb-"

He stopped right there to lick his chops. "Lamb! Newly seasoned I hope. Young and juicy. And frolicking provocatively in the fields! Bouncing up and down like soft, fluffy wool. Stop it! Pull yourself together," he said trying not to become fantastical in his food.

"Some shepherdess not paying any attention to the flock, probably asleep if I know little girls… Well I'm not going to eat her. Haha. Not if there's a lamb filet. Or a nice fat rack of chops!" he gestured and laughed. "I'm not greedy! I am greedy I don't know why I said that. I have a substantial appetite. Haha, born to gorge! That's me," he ended his odd behavior with a sip of water.

* * *

The trolls managed to escape the forested park and are bustled into a busy intersection. Cars zoomed past them and not bothered to slow down as Burly dived out of the lane and into the next busy lane. Finally they met in the middle of the traffic, dodging fast cars.

One car slammed on his brakes before he hit Burly. Burly was unaffected as the motorcar hit him. The car jerked but his foot and body remained stoned to the floor. In rage that his shoes were scoffed, he pulled his axe and slammed it in the hood.

Steam blew up and the driver became terrified. Burly and his siblings laughed at their reactions.

"Our carriage is here," Burly mocked with a bow.

"Okay I'm sorry. What can I get ya?" Virginia apologized to the two people waiting impatiently for some service.

However her train thought was messed up as she could distinctly hear the one customer's voice atheistically describing his food as if day dreaming.

"Rare and tenebrously cooked! When I say rare I mean let it look at the oven in terror and bring it out to me. No fries, no vegetables, just meat! Red as a young girl's first blush,"

Virginia snapped out and once again realized she was working. "I'm sorry-"

"A jug of margarita, two diet colas and two beers-"

Two barks were heard and Angel signaled to Virginia to come. "And my wife will have a double baked-"

"I'm sorry I'll be right back," she apologized a third time leaving her customers hungry and dissatisfied.

"What's going on?" Virginia hissed to her sister. She shrugged helplessly. They unlocked the door to the storage room.

"Oh my God," Angel said gasping as she saw the mess of flour Prince had made. It wasn't the mess that gave them the loss of breath. On the floor written in perfect English was the word, DANGER. The pawprints around it proved that it had to be the dog making the mess- even the hand- er, paw writing.

Angel looked at the door and jiggled it to see if it was a defective lock. Nope. Virginia laughed. She thought it must be someone playing a prank.

"Ha, very funny Candy, you can come out now!" she called behind her fingering the keys in her palm. She realized the keys and then looked back at Prince.

She said, "I suppose you wrote that eh?"

Prince barked.

"Bark once," Virginia asked foolishly.

Bark.

Angel's hand landed to her chest. Curiously she asked, "Bark twice?"

Bark! Bark!

Both of the girls gave a short frightened yelp. They curled back to the wall not knowing what anything was now. It couldn't have been the dog writing the word in the flour. But the prove was from the lock and the dusty substance on its paws.

Everything was definitely not what it seemed to Virginia and Angelica Lewis.

* * *

Candy read back the order. "Okay so you got the lamb special and six glasses of warm milk?"

Wolf nodded hi head feverishly. And then he remembered what he came here for. "Yeah… Oh oh! I almost forgot, I was looking for this lovely lady who found my doggy,"

Candy melted remembering the golden retriever. She swallowed her gum and gushed, "Oh, so it's yours! I'll tell Virginia, she's out back,"

Wolf grinned at the positive side of things- a meal to go and a Prince served to him.

* * *

Virginia was scared. Her eyes popped out when the dog did some strange things. "Can you understand everything that I'm saying? What we are saying?"

Bark!

"Just stop it!" she said trying to find reason.

Angel whispered, "Whose in danger?" Her eyes moved back to the flour message. He nodded his head as if he's trying to speak with them. "But… How are we in danger?"

"Angel! We are not seriously talking to a dog!" Virginia murmured.

Prince trotted over and grabbed Angel's apron by his teeth and gestured for them to move along. "I think he's telling us we're all in danger?" Bark!

"Wait!" Virginia said as Prince led the way out of the restaurant. They forgot about the bikes and disposed them in the alleyway where the dump truck comes by twice a week.

Grabbing their things and leaving earlier than expected, Virginia asked for some quick directions not knowing her way outside of the short cut through the park.

"Shouldn't we go back to get your wallet?" Angel asked holding her bag by a shoulder with Prince at her side.

Virginia didn't speak for a minute trying to figure things out. "I don't know. The street lamps are off by now and what good is it to look for it in the dark? I'll inform the credit card companies about the theft and let them deal with it,"

"No need to be angry," Angel muttered.

Virginia turned to her sister. "Yeah but I've already had a bad night what with smashing my bike, losing my identity practically and on top of it I think we're going nuts about a dog who can supposedly communicate with us!" she yelled.

Prince stopped on the trail momentarily. "Virginia, I know we've had a strange night but at the moment yelling won't solve any problems!"

She calmed down and let her hands reach the back of her head letting the blood and oxygen flow to her brain. "Alright… alright. I'm sorry, Angel. Let's just… go home and deal with this in the morning,"

Angel let her take the lead while she reached down to pet Prince. "Stubborn but not unreasonable," she concluded. He let out a sharp bark and closed his eyes as if agreeing and chuckling.

"C'mon Prince," she said tagging along with her sister and Prince.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the restaurant, Candy decided to show Wolf to the back of the kitchen to retrieve 'his' dog. She noticed how he didn't dare move his eyes off of her or the trail for the dog. She opened the half-closed door but turned sharply to have her personal space. His eyes were feral and dangerous.

"Oh, you can't come in here," she said.

Wolf noticed from the corner of his eye the Danger spelling in the flour. He rushed in ignoring the waitresses warning. Slyly, he dragged a foot across the flour as Candy looked in and out of the closet for any sign of Virginia.

"Um, she must have gone home, you know… Maybe she hurt herself when she fell,"

Deceit written across his eyes he asked, "Oh, poor little sausage. Why don't you tell me where she lives that way I can thank her?"

He backed her up to a wall and closed the closet door. His hunger was doubling and with an empty stomach, his wolf half took over. "Oh well, I can't tell you where she lives. You know, I don't who you are?" she said a little scared.

"Ohhh, you can tell me," he said as smoothly as possible. When she didn't say anything but look in those eyes, he snarled to snap it out of her.

* * *

"This is our stop. You gotta go now," Virginia said looking at the shabby apartment building. Both girls sat at the steps and Prince wagged his tail.

Angel scolded, "Virginia! He's just a little dog out alone with no one to help him and must fend for himself-"

"Alright!" Virginia said not wanting her sister to play the sympathy card. "Okay you can just stay for one night and then you're on your own, you understand?"

Bark!

She looked at the sky. "I've gone crazy. How can I be talking to a dog?"

Bark bark!

She rolled her eyes. "Yes I have, don't try to reassure me," as she stomped up the stairs.

"C'mon Prince," she said patting her thigh and he happily retreated to Angel. "Sleepover time!" she giggled.

The elevator was still out of order, meaning their Dad didn't do anything today but sleep and drink beer like he usually did on a work day. Walking up a couple flights of stairs, Angel nearly fell to the ground on their floor from exhaustion. She looked at Prince.

"I'm really outta shape," she huffed.

Virginia rolled her eyes. "Please, your as thin as a bean pole,"

She cocked her head to the side. "No matter how many time people say that I have no clue what a bean pole is," Prince tried to laugh at the hysterical girl. He nudged his nose up to her palm. Even as a prince he knew what women were like. And he knew this 'Angel' was most definitely slimming and had no need to be in shape. She smiled.

"Thanks for the compliment… That is I think?"

The girls moved to the left hallway and saw an array of people in dust and on the ground. There was a lady with blonde hair and formal clothes with her shopping bags lightly snoring with pink dust everywhere.

"That's Mrs. Grays from next door," Virginia said confused.

Angel pointed to two more bodies in the same position and with the sparkling dust. "And her husband and her son Eric,"

"What happened to them? They look asleep?" she asked.

Behind them a bell-like ding was made. The elevator jerked open but nothing and no one was near the fried circuits or in the shaft. Virginia held her hand out as they approached their door. It was chopped and hacked open with force. Chippings of wood splintered out. Someone was in there apartment.

"Wait here. I'm gonna go see if Dad's all right," the older sister took command.

She gulped before sliding in the room. Angel knelt near Prince scared for her dad and sister. She rubbed her shaky hands not knowing what to do. Prince laid across her lap whining. He too became scared of what could be in there…

"It's been too long… I'm gonna look for her," she said. Prince whined and stopped her not wanting her to fall prey to the trolls. She rubbed his face. "You stay here or call for help. I'll be back,"

She took the same path as her sister and hid by a closet near the hacked open door. The apartment was messier than usual. She saw her father, asleep with the weird pink dust around him, while a TV blared in the background. Virginia was trying to wake her dad up but was distracted by the hideous strangers.

A woman with the biggest afro hair arrived from behind nearly scaring Virginia out of her skin. "Hello there girlie. These shoes, they have been very badly cared for. They are scoffed and cut and neglected," she reprimanded about Dad's shoes.

Two more… things came out with some shoes. He held Angel's nice pair of red pumps in his claws. "You have nice shoes and so tiny,"

The girl mentioned, "We have hundreds of pairs at home,"

The shortest and the one with the biggest nose said, "So we know what we are talking about," with a cheesy grin.

Virginia asked hysterically, "Who are you and what have you done with my Dad?"

The tall one said it like it was no big deal, "Ah, he's just sleeping. Hit him with a bit of troll dust that's all,"

"Troll dust?"

"I am Burly the Troll, feared throughout the Nine Kingdoms," he gave a short bow and showed his gruesome teeth.

"I am Blabberwort the Troll, dreaded throughout the Nine Kingdoms," she said with an evil glint in her eye.

"And I am Bluebell the Troll, terrified throughout the Nine Kingdoms!" the short one exclaimed.

Burly picks up his axe and inspects the moving pictures on the TV. He slams the axe at the top of the box and the electrical wires emitted sparks destroying the TV all together.

Virginia gave a scream and then Burly held the axe near her throat. The three ganged up on her. Angel had to do something, but with the odds and their weapons she had no chance. And by the time she contacted with the police their would be remains of her family sliced all over the floor.

"Where is he?" he demanded.

"I don't know what you are talking about," she said coyly looking at the axe.

"Prince Wendell!" ordered Blabberwort.

"Who?"

The only Prince they knew of was the dog- _Wait… are they looking for Prince?_ Angel thought looking back through the cracks to see Prince pacing to and fro. These people were crazy and she couldn't let them take a dog as a captive… no matter how twisted they are.

She motioned silently for Prince to move over to the closet in case Virginia told or they moved outside. Prince made his way through without detection. He slid by Angel's legs and looked through the slimming cracks.

"The dog! We're going to cut you on the count of three and then we are going turn you into a pair of shoes," threatened Blabberwort.

"One," Burly said showing a pair of ancient scissors. "I will cut the shoes,"

"Two," Blabberwort said grabbing a curved incisor from her pocket. "I will shape the shoes. Bluebell showed a tiny but very pointy metal pick.

"Three, I will sti-"

"Alright!" Virginia gave in. "Alright. I'll tell you where he is. He's here but he's uh outside,"

"Show us! Take us to him!"

They grabbed her sister by the wrists and began arguing in her ears as they pushed and shoved each other out of the door. Angel knelt down and repositioned the door so they could see what's going on. Blabberwort growled seeing no dog, no Prince.

"Where is he?"

"He's hiding behind those doors," she motioned at the elevator. They acted so dimwitted like they've never seen an elevator in there life!

"That room was not there a moment ago, you are crafty," commented Burly.

In the elevator, they heard distinct shouting and noises.

"There's no one in here!"

"Oh yes, he's in here! I-I'm just gonna operate the secret door to where he's hiding,"

"Let' go," Angel whispered. They climbed out of the hovel and into the hallway where Virginia was slamming a fire extinguisher at Burly's hand so the elevator would close properly. Angel ran over to pull the wires from the circuit board on the outside so there wouldn't be a way to escape.

Virginia grabbed Angel's hand. She hugged her before retreating to the stairs. "Ok let's go. Dad will be alright, I think it's you they're after,"

"C'mon Prince," Angel called. He barked after her. "Virginia what is going on here?"

Grunts and slams in the elevator scared the girls. "I don't know but I don't want to stay and find out!"

* * *

An hour later, Tony was sprawled on the seat in the start of waking up. The dust was layered in his hair and on his work clothes. He tossed his head side to side for best comfort zone. His nostrils twitched as his bones stiffen from lack of moving around in the past hour or so.

His eyes were drowsy and filled with sleepiness but slowly the spell wore off and his mind activated from sleep mode. Knocks on the door were incessant and only made him more awake.

"Whoever it is, go away," he cried as sleep was losing its energy.

Ignoring the house dweller's wishes, the man or should I say, Wolf entered the lovely abode. His dressing was different with a white crew neck t-shirt under a blue formal coat with matching pants and nicely polished shoes. He grinned at the man stretching and smelt the dog. His scent was fresh and he knew the chase was on.

In his best sly voice he said, "Good evening! Trolls have been to visit you first, I see. No matter tonight, and tonight only, I am authorized to make you a unique offer. Namely the end to all your personal and financial problems,"

Tony stood up and took in his surroundings. His TV and phone were disconnected, the furniture was nearly half-destroyed and papers laid everywhere in sight. He narrowed his eyes at the man barging in.

"Hey hey just slow down a second. Take another step and I'm gonna call the cops, this is a private property-"

"Under the terms in this policy, I am in exchange for the whereabouts of your daughters, able to offer you this magic bean, which once eaten can give you six glorious wishes," he interrupted showing from his inside pockets a case with a bean giving off a green hue and odor.

Tony's face turned and looked at it with distaste. Wolf had seen a picture case with two girls at the little desk. "Is this her?" he gestured. One of the pictures was a younger girl around 20 sitting on a balcony railing on a porch hugging her knees in wearing a summer dress with a smile on her face. But it wasn't her Wolf was drawn to.

In the other separate case was two photos of a girl around 21 with a stuffed animal posing affectionately. Wolf's eyes turned golden and he howled at the sight of her. He panted at the beauty of the older girl.

"What do you mean?"

Wolf flowed out his description while becoming very hungry. "Well she's succulent! What a dreamy creamy girl," He released a whine and a long howl. "Tasty or what!" His eyes glowed.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Okayyy?"

* * *

The three trolls were back to back in the middle of the elevator. Sweat and saliva dripping on their faces, grunts from all around and stances were made to escape their enclosure. On the count of three they wreaked havoc and battered at the walls and lighting fixtures. Nothing seemed to be going right after five minutes of battling. They slumped their backs against the walls and complained.

"I've been thinking about over the years, I feel this is quite the worst spell we've ever been put under," Blabberwort blabbed.

Burly agreed. "We've had some stinkers but nothing compared to this! She's a powerful little witch that one,"

From all the claustrophobia, Bluebell came up with a theory. "I think we might be in her pocket,"

"What?" Burly asked ridiculously.

"I think she might have shrunk us and put us in a match box in her pocket," At that moment, the machinery groaned from the beatings and the weight of three big trolls with weapons.

Burly snide, "That's ridiculous. You're falling to pieces, get a grip of yourself! We can't be in a match box, you idiot! Where are all the matches?!"

* * *

Down the hallway, Wolf was still striking his deal with Tony. Opening the small case, a black bean magicked his way to bounce around and release a green odor. It jumped into Tony's palm and intrigued him as he inspected the thing.

"What the hell is it doing?" asking aloud to himself.

"Six, big wishes. Imagine having anything you desire. And from the look of your modest surroundings I'm sure there are many things that you wish to change," Wolf slid in like a dealer trying to advertise something.

"Yeah," he said. Then reality smashed into his thick clouded brain. "Wait get the hell out of my apartment all right?"

Wolf started to wolf down the left over ribs on the plate. "This is a joke right?"

Wolf seemed offended and raised his voice slightly. "No, no. It's a standard multiple wish deal. Six wishes! No going back on wishes that were made no making five wishes and wishing for another thousand now c'mon! Is that a fair deal or what?! Now where is your lovely daughters?" He asked pulling out a standardized contract and grabbing a pen from the countertop.

"Why do you want them for?" he asked suspiciously.

"Simply to reclaim my little doggy which they found," He lied through his teeth.

"Dog?"

His eyes flashed golden for persuasion. "There's even a reward involved, which I intend to give her personally,"

Not knowing what Tony was clearly doing, he signed the contract with his legal name. "If she's not at work she'll be at my mother-in-laws. She's always trying to turn them against me,"

Wolf asked already running through different plans, "Does this mother-in-law like flowers?"

He scoffed and laughed at the thought of his mother-in-law ever being nice or gracious to compliment. "She likes money. That's the only thing that impresses her,"

"Address please," he rushed. While he was distracted, he took the photo of the older girl for safe-keeping. He grabbed the contract and smiled. "It's been a pleasure!"

"Hold on wait a second! How long does this take to work?"

Wolf grinned and bowed. "Oh don't worry the first three hours… are the worst," he said closing the door, involuntarily scratch when he's in wolf mode and licked his teeth. _Off to grandmother's house I go,_ he thought dangerously.

* * *

**Tricky Wolf... Good question. Where are all the matches? For all your readers: So far which troll is the best of the worst?**


	3. Chapter 3

10th Kingdom – Chapter 3: To Grandmother's House We Go!

* * *

Over the bridge and through the park, they traveled. Angel shivered through her teeth as she remembered the hideous faces and fang-like tusks. She thanked whoever was in charge up there Virginia was street smart and could think quick on her feet. Putting her hood up, Angel felt the trek they journeyed on was longer than usual. Grandmother's house- well apartment suite- took approximately half an hour. Paranoia led her the way thinking about the three strange beings.

Who had never heard of an elevator? Or had an OCD with shoes? She couldn't let it go that it was not a coincidence the day has been. First running over a dog that jumped out of nowhere, then that strange fellow at the restaurant? And now pink sprinkles all over fallen innocents? She hoped her father would know what to do if he should awake to an apartment torn to bits.

At her heels was the dog, Prince. She fluffed the fur on his head and caught up to her sister who remained silent.

"It doesn't make sense," she mumbled.

Angel said, "Not everything has to make sense,"

"But don't you find it odd?"

"Which part? The dog or those… trolls?" she asked.

"All of it!" she exclaimed. "I'm going psycho Angelica! I'm living in a non-stop continuous cartoon of reality!" Virginia placed a hand to her forehead and sighed heavily. "It's not enough that we both have to work while dad sits around doing nothing to support us but this! This is where I draw the line," she said building her anger.

Her little sister sneered, "Oh like you could do any better! You had dreams but you willingly left them to help the family; I still have dreams and I had to force them aside,"

She lowered her gaze in apology. "I know. And for that I thank you. Tough times call for sacrifices. Even if the sacrifice doesn't win us anything,"

Angel left it at that. She dreamt of going to college, having a start to a political career. It didn't end there as she imagined herself a mayor of New York City. She smiled to herself. Then she took a glance around the apartment buildings sagging in, the once-noisy street dead, and the lonely paved path with the occasional crack. Swallowing her pride she sighed.

Prince nipped at her hand. She looked down and patted assumingly. She whispered to him, "One day…" she left it at that.

However she wished that one day would come sooner than later.

It was not too long they approached the correct amber-colored building with lavish designs. Stalking up to the correct floor, Virginia pushed the spare key into apartment number 201's lock and twisted the door open. The long hallway revealed doors to the left and right with in the middle a viewing window. Unfortunately other buildings and an alley way, obscuring the sky and beautiful paths to Central Park, tainted the view.

Virginia sighed in relief. "Grandmother?" she called.

Angel closed the door behind them and knelt to Prince. "I think you'll enjoy this better than our hovel of an apartment," she said gazing at the coral scheme of blues and golden French symbols in the striped wallpaper. The crystal door knobs sparkled in the evening glow of the on-the-wall chandelier lights. It was all fit for royalty… despite the lowered cost.

"Who is it?" an elderly barely noticeable Canadian accent rang through her closed door.

"Grandma," Angel smiled as the door opened.

The girls' grandmother was in her nightgown smoking a French cigarette with her make up still on and freshly painted for any arriving guests. She smiled causing the sags in her wrinkles to lift. Her thinning blonde hair was cut short and her long fingernails clutched at her French poodle, Roland. Her room was dazzling with old antiques from her days as a debutante with her pink touch on the furniture, the luminous diamonds and jewelry, and the waft of sprits of perfumes lingered and heavily drowsed the girls' noses.

Her grandmother laughed and got out of bed to behold her two lovely granddaughters. On the outside she gleamed at the sight of them, in the inside she pitied them for following a second-rated job with minimum time to spend on luxuries or embrace feminism.

"It's only us grandma," Virginia said. Angel had a hand on the back of Prince making sure he didn't jump at strangers.

"For a moment there I thought it was your mother," she laughed so easily at the open wounds.

"Well we're sorry to disappoint you," Virginia mumbled.

Angel recovered, "Would you mind if we stayed the night-"

She took her cigarette out of her mouth with a puff and tapped the end of it on the ash tray. She leaned back on a fluffed pillow eyeing them.

"You know she'll come back one day. She'll just swan in, without a word. You don't think she could be in Aspen, do you? She always loved the snow." Angel looked down remembering little of her mother. At six a child barely can recollect coherent thoughts without day dreaming of lollipops and cool breezes at the beach during the hotter times in New York.

Virginia laughed uneasily wanting to avoid any talk about their mother. "Well I think she would have come back by now. I don't know, 14 years is a long time for upright skiing,"

Their grandmother scolded, "Don't be cheap dear," Angel rolled her eyes; her grandmother was born rich and she lived in luxury. Despite her wealth, she never gave money to them believing a woman's right to luxury is through the man who provides it. Grandpa has long past and she flitted her money here and there to accommodate herself.

But that doesn't mean Christmas and birthday gifts weren't inexpensive.

She gets up to pour her and Virginia, who was of age to drink, a glass of champagne. It was unfortunate that grandma already opened and emptied most of its contents down her throat.

Then she looked at Prince and shrieked. "Gah! What's that?" Roland picked up the scent of another dog and started to yap annoyingly.

"This is a stray I picked up today," Virginia introduced Prince. Angel rolled her hand over his fur and hugged him like it was her first and only pet… It is her first and only pet.

Grandmother shooed him away. "Well just keep him away from Roland. He's probably got fleas," she distressed.

Virginia rolled her eyes and shushed the poodle's incessant yapping. Angel mumbled to Prince. "C'mon, do you have fleas? No, you don't have fleas,"

Roland continued his barking while looking up growling at Prince who seemed utterly bored. Grandmother handed a very low glass of champagne to the eldest grandchild.

"Thanks,"

"You know you could still be something in society, Virginia, Angelica," she said leaning back on her pillows. "I have connections, you know. Your mother's debut at the Ritz Carlton was a… coronation! At 19 she could have any bachelor in the whole of New York… And what does she end up with?" She day dreamed her old life and the glitz and glam of New York society. She sneers when she reminds herself how her only daughter's life ended.

"Dad," they chorused holding out the ash tray.

She scoffed. "Dad," She tapped the end of the burnt cigarette and continued puffing away.

"Don't throw away your life like she did, Virginia. I could see the thing happen all over again. You're a waitress for god's sakes! And your sister… Angel," she said softly. "Angelica, you could have been up in society working for the mayor f being a district attorney! I was very disappointed you followed in your sister's footsteps," she frowned.

Roland stopped his barking as Prince smacked his paw on his head, knocking out the dog. Angel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Grams, I had dreams but not everything ends up like a fairytale,"

She squinted her eyes. She pointed a long red finger nail at her direction. "It's that sort of thinking that got the both of you in this situation,"

Virginia defended, "We had no other choice,"

"Who are you gonna meet? Some eligible short order cook?!" Virginia laughed but took it back under her grandmother's stern eye.

"No,"

Angel muttered, "Sounds better than being single,"

Grandmother sat back and looked up wishing for a better life for all of them. She always had high hopes of having beautiful, successful daughters who would provide the family like she did in her days. Now they are old enough to get out there and start making something of themselves, and they waste their life away.

Having enough talk, Angel stood up. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Goodnight, Virginia, Grandmother," she said. Prince followed right after her awaiting for a chance to lay and rest.

Across the hall was a smaller room equally pink and dazzling as her grandmothers but built for younger generations. Still tuck in the drawers where spare clothes for when they camped out at grandma's because Dad picked up extra shifts. Prince sprawled on the bed and wagged his tail.

She smiled. "Now you see what I have to go through with," she said looking through the chests for some night clothes. "Always the same old story: 'When are you gonna go to college Angelica? When will you pursue your career in politics Angelica? Don't slouch, Angelica, the mayor of New York City does not slouch!' God, I wish I could redo my whole life and play it the way I want to," she mimicked her grandmother in her smoky, dry voice.

She sat down on the bed and stroked his fur. "I've always wanted to be something," she whispered. "But every time I get close, my opportunity slips away because I'm not qualified enough. I'll never prove my family my talents, it's as simple as that,"

Prince whined and laid his head on her thigh. She petted his head. "I wish I was like you. A dog. You don't have to wake up every morning wishing this were all a bad nightmare. You can walk and do whatever you want without being criticized because you messed up. You can always run away… start anew… and never look back without hesitation," Her eyes glazed over thinking.

Prince internally chuckled at the woman's speech. Little did she know he had to do all that and more. Before he was transformed he _would_ have to wake up and expect another day of obligations and responsibilities to fulfill. People _did_ criticize him on his behavior and actions. And when he thinks he can run away, he always looks back knowing he cannot leave a country in desperate need of him and his guidance.

He whined and closed his eyes as she stroked his head. He liked escaping for once. Let the pressure be off and let someone else take charge. But he mentally slapped himself for thinking that.

Listening to Angel opened his eyes and cranked the noggin of his once again. He never thought about other's sufferings, only his. He was selfish enough to think he was the one person that had it the hardest knowing out there, in this world, opportunities are limited and the people aren't as forgiving. He empathized his companion as she cuddled with him.

She half-smiled. "One day I _will_ take charge of my life and show the world what I can do… but for now, so much for my happy ending," she said before changing in the bathroom. She got under the covers with Prince lying next to her. She didn't mind his companionship, she felt normal with him and could talk to him about things she would never tell her sister.

She turned off the light switch and fell fast asleep.

* * *

Two rampant knocks on the half-chopped door were heard. Mr. Murray nearly imploded when he saw the devastation of his tenant's apartment. Through the cracks and pink weird dust, he saw the vicinity worse off then before. He huffed and knocked again. He was through with his employee's lazy slack.

A half asleep Tony Lewis appeared from the other side of the door. He stiffened and grabbed his hat on.

Mr. Murray shouted, "So of course you never fixed the pipes like you promised, that I've come to expect. But this!"

Tony gulped. He was in for it now. "Well this- Well I-I can explain all this- I'll get right on it, Mr. Murray,"

He held a hand and stepped back. "No I'm gonna get on it, is not good enough! I want you and your daughters out of this apartment today! You're fired!" he shrieked before stomping off.

"Fired? What- Mr. Murray!-"

"What you big jerk?!"

Tony sighed. He had it up to here with his boss, always kicking and screaming well how would he like it to work in crappy conditions working night and day to make decent pay? He didn't have to lift a single finger as he yells at his tenants for overdue rent and fixtures needed to be repaired. He sat on his butt drinking in his amount of money for the week on his royal behind!

He narrowed his eyes and wished… Wish. He could wish! "I wish you and your entire family would kiss my ass and be my slaves forever!" he wished on the top of his head.

Mr. Murray became red in the face. "What did you just say?"

Green smoke overcame him and the sneer on his face softened. He looked admiringly at Tony, as the wish took control. "Oh, Master," he said.

* * *

Things weren't looking up for the trolls. In the elevator they sat at different walls sulking. It was obvious to them they weren't capable to break this 'spell' and no amount of force or troll spit could undo this magic.

Blabberwort whined as her brothers stared at nothing in particular. Burly asked, "How long do you think the spell will last?"

"It can't last long," she whimpered through her oversized teeth and jaws.

"What 100 years?"

Things started to shimmer over the girl troll as she began thinking, which she hardly used. "At the most. Maybe only 50!"

"Well we'll just have to make the most of our imprisonment and agree not to eat each other!" he said stiffly.

"Absolutely, absolutely! We'll do the hundred years and maybe if we're only lucky we'll only have to do two-thirds of the spell and get out of here!"

A cry of cheers and prospect swept over the trolls knowing they think they had it all figured out.

* * *

Grandmother was the first to awaken from her slumber, not under any pleasant circumstances. The buzzer for the door buzzed alerting the occupants. Virginia was still asleep and Angel was half dozing off again with Prince cuddled to her side. Their grandma put on her multi-colored silk robe and fastened it over her slinky pink nightgown.

"Hello?" she called as she opened the door. She hoped it wasn't her landlord asking for more money at this earlier light. Opening, the door revealed a man with coiffed black hair with a blue pant suit. His face was starting to have a two o clock shadow and his eyes were devilishly. He carried beautiful bouquet of spring tulips in his hand.

Wolf had gasped at the sight of the old wrinkly grandmother. He remembered his part and started to act his play.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry, there must be some mistake. I was looking for Virginia's grandmother," he said slyly as he turned his back.

"I am she," she announced.

Wolf grinned and turned back to her. "It cannot be. A sister perhaps or even her own mother but her grandmother?! You are a… dazzling beauty," he said lacing every compliment sweetly as possible.

Flattered, Grandmother played with his fluffed hair and blushed at this new comer. "Oh well I don't have my makeup on or anything yet,"

Wolf narrowed his gaze behind her looking and smelling for any trace of the dog. "May I come in? I do have flowers,"

"Yeah but who are you?"

Wolf smiled. "I am Virginia's suitor, her fiancé, her betrothed," he said showing the stolen picture of Virginia and kissing it fondly.

"Betrothed? She never told me anything about a fiancé?"

He closed the clasp of the pictures and grinned. "How like her, how modest! Most girls would brag and boast about the heir to an enormous fortune- but not Virginia,"  
Grandmother's eyes widened, then closed. She dreamt of something like this for either of her grandchildren but never could she have imagined it would come true. He kissed her hand in respect and she saw money signs in her eyes.

"Well do come in. I- I'll just go on and get dressed,"  
Wolf closed the door to apartment 201 behind him as he chuckled to himself how easy this had been. But all this chasing and back and forth business made his stomach growl.

_Hmm, haven't had grandmother in a while,_ he growled in his thoughts.

* * *

Tony hummed a little song as his new slave got to business cleaning the apartment. It was life! It was fate to have anything he wanted. He grabbed a blue robe and a cigar he made Murray buy and decided to sit down and have a beer while ordering commands at his slave.

But when he got to the kitchen, he realized in the refrigerator there was only a single bottle of beer left. Dissatisfied, he decided to fix this problem.

"Okay Wish Master. Give me a never-ending supply of beer!" he wished robotically making sure his wish was slow and true.

He opened the refrigerator door and low and behold only two bottles appeared. "Two? You call that a wild night where you come from?" This time he opened the door and found about ten beer. He closed, then opened the door. Fifteen. Twenty. Soon it was beer galore!

"Hehe, Murray, Murray! Murray! The refrigerator just keeps…What are you doing?" he said trying to show his old boss the new fangled invention.

Murray inspected another pair of dirty shoes. "I'm worried that they're not clean enough, Master. Shall I lick your shoes again?"

Tony sighed, being the master seemed difficult with choices. "Let me see your tongue,"

Murray popped open his tongue. From the inside of his mouth to the tongue was black with dirt and grime on the shoes. Tony pulled a face.

"Alright, five more minutes. How is your mother coming with that door?"

Holding open the heavy door was Murray's aged mother. She wore a red suit with matching skirt. Her frail hands lifted the door while her puffed blonde hair leaned against the wood.

She waved at her master. "A-a… almost done there, Master!"

From behind him, Murray tried to kiss his butt again. Tony might have over done it with the puckering up. He slapped Murray's face lightly. "No, no. Once was enough. Here, open this," Handing him the beer. He sat down with the cigar at the Lazy Boy dreaming of new wishes.

"What shall I wish for next? I wish, I wish that I would have something to clean this apartment and I wouldn't have to lift a finger!"

Something roared from the closet. It smacked open and held an old fashioned vacuum cleaner roaring to life actually speaking! Tony laughed as it munched up the dust bunnies and mumbled how to get clean.

"Clean," he ordered. And under the spell the vacuum zoomed around cleaning the floor.

* * *

"Oh I'm so bad! I can't believe I'm doing this!" Wolf exclaimed as he spread paprika and pepper all over the tied grandma in the silver tray. The muffled noises from her through the gag were struggling. One second Wolf was kind and courteous, the next he captured the poor lady and tied and gagged her up in the kitchen.

"Oh but still… I do suppose you're better surrounded by potatoes!" He laughed manically dumping a tray of potatoes he found in a sack. Grandmother pleaded even though she couldn't speak clearly.

Wolf looked at the countertop spice rack. Shifting through everything he growled not finding the right ingredients. "Where's the garlic? The rosemary! Grrrr, what do I have to work with here?! Free-roll dried herbs?"

He opened the oven door and sized up the grandmother. "You're not going to fit in the oven are you? Not in one piece anyway, hehe," he said laughing heartily.

He sprinkled the seasoning all over her while singing. "_Shepherdess makes quite a mess, but little lambs are lovely_- Oh what am I doing?! I should untie you. Oh a poor old lady frightened out of her wits, I should untie you… but first I'll put a dollop of fat in the oven tray," he said running through different emotions. His conscious settled as he decided to eat her and then feel guilty about it later.

"Grandmother?"

Wolf froze. They were up from sleeping. "Uh oh, guests are up, breakfast isn't ready!" He grabbed a butcher knife and closed the kitchen door hoping whoever was up didn't go to the kitchen first.

Virginia stretched her arms, awaking the sleepy muscles in her system. Angel rubbed her eyes and then lowered her face back in Prince's fur.

"Your obsessed, you know that?" she said giggling to herself.

Angel wasn't a morning person and grumbled. "Go away,"

Virginia obeyed her little sister and rubbed her hungry tummy. She left the room to grab a bite to eat. "Grandmother?"

"In here darling," a high-pitched voice echoed from the room.

Turning back, she entered her grandma's room. It was dark and still heavily perfumed.

"Good morning. You want some coffee or toast or something," she asked opening the curtains. Rays of sunlight hit the bed and her grandmother curled in the cover not showing any sight of her. She whimpered. "What's wrong? Grandma? Do you have a cold?" she asked checking the covers.

Pulling them back, she gasped and screamed. In the little pink shawl her grandma had on the previous night was a man with black hair and scruffy features. His eyes turned golden and he growled.

"HAHA! Surprise!" he yelled.

Virginia jumped back and fell on her back. The stranger carried a butcher knife. Virginia winced into her blue tank top and dark blue shorts.

Wolf took in her appearance and found her irresistible. Her picture was nothing to what met his eye. "Oh boy, you're fantastic! Your picture doesn't do its justice! Wow!… oh no…How did this get here?" he laughed hesitantly dropping the knife. Virginia ran off but Wolf with his instincts stopped her before she ran to her sister for help.

"No, no! Oh no! By the way where is the dog?! Sleeping in if I know royalty," he muttered. He inhaled her scent and his wolf exhaled loudly. Virginia's breathing kicked up a notch not knowing what this man wanted.

"You smell great. I've had little teases of your scent before, Virginia; but in the flesh! Perfumes are not or me; I respond favorably to the natural audacity to a woman who flaunts her own aroma," he said passionately.

Virginia searched for something to defend herself. On the dresser there was a crystal vase. She eyed it before making her steps carefully closer to it.

Wolf continued on with his lover's speech, "And you, Virginia, you smell like Sunday lunch," he growled.

"You keep away from me," she threatened emptily.

His eyes roamed around at her figure complimenting her while at it. "Ah, beautiful eyes, beautiful teeth, all the right in all the right places. No doubt about it, I am in love!" he closed his eyes and puckered up. She narrowed her eyes and then took her chance to grab the antique and smash it over his head. Surprisingly he didn't flinch, but she didn't stand to watch. She ran out of the room, fleeing for any help.

Wolf opened his eyes and his lips curled into an eerily grin.

Angel stretched her arms and yawned. She smacked her lips together and wondered where her sister was. Prince occupied the other side of the bed still fast asleep. Angelica petted his fur.

"Now where is my darling sister?" she asked to herself. She heard a large crash and panicked. She quickly opened the door to see her sister rush past her and look like a chicken with its head cut off.

"What-"

"Get away- Come- watch out!" she said heavily out of breath and trying to open the window. She looked out and whined. Angel came over to her and heard growls from behind me.

She screamed as the strange man with a knife hurled towards them. He said, "Already with my mind at rest, now that I've seen you, eating you is out of the question. Not even on the menu!" to Virginia. He kissed the night strangely and set it away on a plush chair.

"Who are you?!" Angelica asked.

He guessed, "With my predictions being correct, you're the lovely Virginia's sister. Enchanted," he bowed but never left his eyes away from Virginia.

She had to protect Angel and herself. Who knew what would happen? She grabbed a broom with a flat brush at the end. She held it a stance.

"Don't you come anywhere near her," she threatened.

Angel was overwhelmed and stood frozen from shock. "Now I know this is gonna come out of the blue but how about a date?"

Virginia attempted to hit Wolf with the broom. He ducked. "Ahhh, we started badly, but I take all the blame for that," he aimed to get the girls. Angel squeezed her eyes shut and backed away to the wall. Virginia smacked the bristles at his chest. He huffed.

He leaned a hand on the window edge trying to feel for any broken ribs. "C'mon, give us a chance!" Virginia took a no with a crotch shot at him. He hunched in pain.

"Owwww, you're one dynamically, twisted-" She didn't give him another word as she hit him once in the chest and then his jaw. He flew back and out of the window. Angelica stepped by her sister to look down. By a stroke of luck, he landed in a pile of black garbage filled bags. He looked up before falling in unconsciousness.

"What the hell was that!?" Angel shouted.

Virginia dropped the broom. "Where's grandma?" she asked worried.

Angel ran down the hall and looked in her room. She found nothing but a fast asleep Roland and smashed glass pieces. She checked her room and bathroom. Prince stood up alarmingly and ran to Angel. As much as she would love some comfort or a sense of reality, they had to find grandma.

"OH MY GOD! GRANDMOTHER!" the screams of Virginia made Angel cringe. Following suit, Prince and Angel found Virginia in the kitchen.

They found the old lady tied up with a stack of potatoes surrounding her. Angel nearly fainted from sight. Both of the girls looked at each other and the window nervously. What happened? Who was he and what did he want?

Angel collapsed to the ground exhausted and too frightened to continue standing. Prince flew to her side and licked her hand. Virginia helped her back to her feet. Angel gasped for air and held her grip on the kitchen counter tops.

"Oh my God… Virginia what did we get ourselves into?" she asked coming to.

She stared at grandma. She went to untie her. "I don't know but we have to get rid of the dog," she said snapping out of it. Angel un-gagged her grandmother who shrilled and thanked the Lord for every thing in her life. Her mumbling ceased even after the bounds were untied.

"I'm sorry for everything in my life I've deceived, I thank you Lord for letting me live to reunite with my granddaughters who mean the absolute world to me-" she mumbled going a little crazy and overdoing the prayers. Angel finished untying her and started to clean up around the kitchen while Virginia promised her grandma everything was fine and they would take care of her and the dog.

She looked sadly at Prince, not wanting to let him go despite of her sister's fury.

* * *

**Yeah... meeting your 'true love' and have in hand with a butcher's knife is reallllly not the way to go. :P**


	4. Chapter 4

10th Kingdom – Chapter 4: You're the One Who Understands Me

* * *

Tony believed his wishes were the best thing he had ever done. However he learnt sooner or later that to be careful what you wish for. When he wished for his old boss, Mr. Murray and his family to be his slaves for the rest of their lives, he never knew how big his family was. People piled on. At first it was his son and mother but then out of town relatives rushed over to serve. What used to be a three-person apartment, now a good twenty-five people surrounding him used to clean and serve his other commands.

Tony, the Master, was condemned with many crazy people under a spell wishing to serve and kiss up to him. Seven of them surrounded him speaking incoherent things. Murray pushed them aside as he saw how distraught his master was.

"Okay Okay, I'm fine, I'm fine-would ya- stop!" he pushed them aside seeing the vacuum eating the carpet. He separated the persistent vacuum away but then it started sucking up the sickly pale pink curtains. Again he sent the vacuum somewhere else. He rubbed his softened hands from his manicure they did on him on his wrinkled forehead.

Another man kneeled trying to kiss up to him. Tony caught him. "Alright, Alright, you've already kissed me three times today!"

"Let me kiss you again, Master," he said in a nasally voice.

"Ew, no! Go clean something! You're ridiculous," he said sending him off as well.

Murray made his way through holding hand with his beautiful wife with a Versace black purse, Gucci glasses, and short blonde hair. She wore a black suit and was smiling in the sight of her new master.

"Master, oh Master, wonderful Master. My wife she has a surprise for you," Murray gleamed.

"Oh?" he said eyeing her. "Really? I'll take care of her while you go get me a beer,"

"Yes master!" Murray agreed and left the two alone.

Mrs. Murray showed him a lovely gold men's watch. "It's my husband's Rolex Oyster, solid gold,"

He accepted it and inspected it. "Are you sure it's not one of those cheap imitations?"

She shook her head obediently. "Oh no Master! I bought it for my husband's 40th birthday but you must have it. All our possessions are yours now," she smiled.

"Murray, I'm gonna take your wife out and buy her some underwear," he snickered as his boss didn't mind.

"Of course Master! Help yourself!"

Before Tony could take her anywhere, the mother of Mr. Murray skipped her merrily way over. "Oh Master!" she rang. "I think there might be someone trapped in the elevator, I can hear voices and banging,"

He sighed and rubbed his eyes trying to explain it for the fifth time. "Yes well if you haven't noticed I'm no longer Mr. Fix-It so why don't you get your rich behind out there and fix it yourself,"

The old Mrs. Murray giggled to herself. "At once Master!"

He returned his gaze at the hypnotizing lady standing before him. "I think we need some spending money. Wish Master… how about a million dollars?"

There was a doorbell ringing his attention. He opened the door. A mist of familiar green trailed down to the floor. A brown traveling bag stood at the front door. He grabbed it and opened it with glee. Hundreds and thousands of hundred dollar bills caught his attention. He flopped it out of the bag with a greedy smile on his face.

"Yes I'm rich! I'm rich! I'm rich! Say hello to Benny! Haha!" he showed the face of Benjamin Franklin before kissing it out of giddiness.

* * *

Wolf lay on a pile of closed filled garbage bags out of the apartment a few floors up. He woke up with a daze. He clutched his head and continued to as he stood up. Glazing over everything, he stared at the window he fell out by the dazzling beauty and her lovely sister. It wasn't something he was used to with the ladies to be so… headstrong and stubborn all while being just as beautiful.

He didn't notice as a middle-aged red head woman with half moon glasses and her morning breakfast from a fast food store a mile back. In the nook of her elbow hung her baggy purse. She wore very pristine old European clothing and looked strangely at the man gazing intently at one of the upper windows.

"Can I help you?" she asked in her extremely Dutch accent.

"Oh I hope so, I'm very confused," Wolf said not looking at her.

She released an ah as she used a finger to push of her glasses up. As a trained doctor with a medical degree and a certified therapist, she understood how confused people tend to be. But with a little opening up, confusion would be the least of their problems.

"Ah, you must be Paul's referral, I was told you would stop by," she figured.

Without knowing what he said, "Can you tell me what I'm doing here?"

She tsked her lips. "tsk, Let's get to know each other a bit before we answer the big questions, okay?"

Wolf scratched shortly at his eyebrow. "Yeah big questions," he said before following her to her off the street office.

The doctor had a plush boardroom office with a relaxing couch for the patients. Wolf laid down while gnawing at a small marrowbone. The doctor replaced her breakfast and purse and grabbed her clipboard and a standard questionnaire sheet she asked for particular patients.

"Now, I'm going to give you a word and I want you to say the first word that comes into your mind," she said settling into a leather back seat. "Here we go, home?"

"Cooking!" he answered swiftly.

"Coward?"

"Chicken," he said stiffly remembering the last time he had chicken.

She smiled at the next word on the list. "Wedding?"

"Cake!"

"Dead?"

"Meat!" he said feverishly eating away the bone.

The doctor paused and was sort of afraid of a young man answering the next question. "Sexual…?"

"Appetite," he said grinning still gnawing.

Quickly she said emotionlessly, "Love,"

"Between anything fluffy!" he said getting excited and breaking the bone between his teeth. He huffed and then looked at the horrified face on the therapist's face. "Sorry, sorry more than one word. Start again?"

* * *

"Murray this is ridiculous- Stop it! Look I want everybody out of here-except for your wife. I didn't know you had so many relatives!" Tony complained as more relatives arrived combing his hair, touching out the wrinkles in his shirt and basically puckering up.

"Of course Master!" he said telling one of his relatives to hit the trail. Yet again another man walked over to the Master.

Tony groaned at the displeasure of this wish. "Hey hey! Cut it out! What are you doing? Stop!"

People bowed like slaves, beer was flying out of the kitchen, and the vacuum became possessed. He took a baseball bat and smashed the contraption. It sparked and started to flame. More beer was overflowing and Murray was struggling against the door of the refrigerator. He ordered some of them to take car of the flaming vacuum.

"I can't stop it Master! Oh, thank you, thank you Master!"

He helped Murray close the refrigerator but that didn't stop the beer from coming out of nowhere. Tony grabbed a phone cord and tied it around the refrigerator and onto a pipe.

He forgot about all the bowing and servants, he grabbed the wife and led her through the crowd. He also handled the bag full of money to get out of the cramped apartment.

"C'mon, please- let's just go!" he begged as the crowd thickened around him. When he finally did arrive at the door, cops and FBI and even the SWAT team arrived and ordered him down.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Tony said as they pointed their laser guns and other weapons at him. One of the FBI slammed him to the ground. The slaves surrounded the perimeter and bowed affectionately at their beaten down master. Cops were sending dogs and other men to check the rooms.

Tony asked as handcuffs were on his wrists, "Stop! Would ya- W-what have I done?"

A police officer opened the bag and found the money. "Bingo, money from the robbery," The handcuffs were tightened and Tony became extremely nervous.

He pleaded his case as adrenaline no longer served him kind. "Hey, no! Wait, wait hold on a second. That- that just appeared in front of my door! I've been in my apartment all day! All these people can vouch for me, right?"

All the people bowed and responded in a delusional voice, "Yes Master,"

Tony moaned at his situation. The FBI probably thinks he drugged them all to do his bidding and that the movement from the kitchen was a explosive. He tried to smoother everything over. "I just been here all day having a beer with friends!"

To make things worse for the unfortunate Tony, the refrigerator exploded with broken bottles and sprays of foamy beer. People near the kitchen, cops alike, ducked as the chaos havocked.

Tony sighed and knew the cops would never believe his story now.

* * *

The doctor crossed her leg over the other and watched as Wolf laid down muttering things to himself.

"You know? I still think you're holding back. What is really troubling you?" she asked wanting to get to the root of his problems.

Wolf leaned down on his knees in front of the doctor. He confessed, "Okay, okay, alright. I'll talk. I met this terrific girl and I really really really like her! But the thing is…"

The doctor ushered him to go on. "What? C'mon say it! Say it!"

"I don't know if I want to love her or… eat her!" Wolf growled at the end thinking of his past meals.

She crooked an eyebrow. "Oh?" she said like she wanted to pretend it was a normal thing to say.

Wolf paced with his hands ruffled around the other. He wrung them nervously as he collected his thoughts. He rambled on and on. "Of course I blame my parents! They were both enormous. They couldn't stop eating, and everyday I came home from school is was eat this, eat that, eat her!"

She said plainly, "You shouldn't punish yourself!"

"I should, I should. I'm bad, I've done so many bad things. But that wasn't me, that was when I was a wolf! Doc I want to change, I want to be a good person!" he said kneeling down concluding. She looked in mock concern. "Can't the lion cuddle up with the lamb? Can't the leopard rub off all its spots?" he asked affectionately.

* * *

All in the mean time, Virginia and Angelica had to high tail out of their grandmother's house. After reassuring her she would be fine for a while, they walked with Prince to the park where they found him a night ago.

Angelica pulled on her sister's arm. "We can't just leave him here!"

"I really don't care at the moment; all he's caused is trouble and I'm up to here with it," she demonstrated.

She nudged a whining Prince. "But he's just a dog and he won't survive a minute without us,"

"He can find his way home, Angelica," she huffed.

Angelica retorted, "This isn't Homeward Bound!"

Prince laughed to himself as he followed Angelica. From his observations he had grown fond of her and her comical ways of words. It was sad that he would be cast away now. He slowed his pace next to her scouting for a slim chance of that magic traveling mirror.

Virginia stopped. "This is the exact spot where I found you so this is really we have to go our separate ways. Okay?"

Bark!

"Look, I'm not the adventure type, I'm a waitress so… this isn't my thing! Whoever those people that want you, can have you!"

Angelica stepped back. "It's a dog, Virginia, no need in saying your life story,"

Barks in agree!

"No I got to go, I got to go," she said leaving Prince behind her. Angelica called after her.

"Sis! Wait!" she turned to the dog. "Stay here!"

Angelica huffed as she stalked after her sister. As a prince, he wasn't going to take orders, despite his new body and current obsession with wagging his tail. He followed after the dames.

* * *

The therapist printed a copy of a reading list to each of her distressed patients. She lengthened the list for this particular fellow due to his peculiar eating habits and twitches. She handed the piece of computer paper inked with novels and books.

She said, "Here is the reading list I strongly recommend now why don't you come back and see me next week?" pushing him to the door.

Wolf knew his time in this new kingdom was limited. "Oh you don't understand, I won't be here next week!" he said looking over the recommendations.

"Ah, ah, ah!" she scolded. "You're not going to intimidate me with suicide thoughts," Shoving him out of the door, she closed the clasp of the door and sighed heavily from the exhausting session.

* * *

Tony ruffled around with his handcuffed wrists behind him. Two police officers escorted him out of the building while the rest of the crew searched neighboring tenants and the strange obeying people.

One police officer, sick of these drug deal raids, said, ": If you cooperate and give us the dealer's name, maybe I'll put in a good word for you," he tolerated.

Tony asked flabbergasted, "Deal? What, I'm not taking drugs!"

The other police officer smirked and laughed to himself. He relayed the evidence. "Yeah right, you don't remember stealing the money because you were under the influence of this magic mushroom?"

"What? Magic mushroom? No I didn't take-" he said then remembering the bean Wolf had sold him. If he could scratch the back of his neck of nerves he would. "Well I did swallow a bean but-"

The officers rolled their eyes as Mr. Lewis continued his blabber. Down the stairs he stopped as he spotted a familiar old bag lady of Mr. Murray's relation. She held a monkey wrench with glee and looked down from the top of the stairs for her master.

"I've almost fixed the elevator now, Master?" she asked concerned as he continued his long trek with several armed policemen.

* * *

Little did they know, the trolls would be in a surprise as their freedom would come true sooner than they had expected. Blabberwort stood up rallying her brothers in one last stand against their imprisonment.

"We will break this spell, trust me," she held her hand out for her fallen, sagged brothers.

Burly smirked and topped his hand over hers. "I trust you,"

Bluebell added, "I trust you more," substituting his hand over Burly's.

Burly glared. "No, I trust her more," Moving his hand over.

"I trust her more!"

"I trust her more!"

Blabberwort screamed in frustration as Burly and Bluebell fought with their hands over one another trying to fight their way to trust. Burly swung his axe out and decided to take matters in his own hands. He landed the blade of the sharpened axe on the controls of the elevator. Sparks emitted but they didn't mind as they jumped and hollered over the racket.

"Sucking elf!' Burly cried as lights beamed from the headlights. Movement from beneath their shoes was detected. It was possible that the pocket holding them captive was… going down?

"We're moving," Burly pointed out the obvious.

"We're going down!" Blabberwort whispered shocked.

Bluebell's nose scrunched up. "Is that good or bad?" Burly asked stupidly.

Bluebell prepped them. "We are about to enter the Underworld, prepare yourselves," Taking out their weapons, they aimed them at the door as the coach stopped and the short ding rang.

They jumped out and released battle cries around the deserted lobby. The police were long gone out of the building but the trolls realized where they were.

Burly yelled at the youngest of the trio. "This isn't the Underworld, you idiot! This is where we came in!"

"Magic, indeed! How did she do that?" the sister asked.

"Oh sucking elf," Burly cried as he stretched out his legs. Being cramped in an elevator for a day made their joints sore as if they ran miles on end chasing the enemy. Leaning down to work out the muscles, the trolls grunted waiting for the opportune moment to start from scratch as the second hunt began.

* * *

Wolf mumble incoherently as he searched in a street market for the recommended books his doctor prescribed. There was a lady running her cart placing certain books in chronological order or alphabetical.

He stopped by her and asked for help. "Excuse me I need everything on this list and anything else that you might think is useful please, Miss?"

The lady picked up the list and easily found some of them. "Oh thank you! And I my plan is successful I will certainly invite you to the wedding! Mine, that's mine," he thanked as he grabbed a ton of books in his arms.

* * *

"Hey! Hey, couldn't we make some sort of a deal?" Tony asked trapped behind the bars in the police car. The same two officers drove him to the station. He had to get out of the car and handcuffs. So it was natural for a helpless ma to offer anything to save his soul. "You know what I can give you anything you wanted, anything! Serious, a house in the Hamptons, um boats, cars? Women? Whatever you want!"

It would be a waste of a wish, but he would do anything. One of them snickered. Looking back at the balding man, he said, "Won't make it any better trying to bribe us,"

A thin sheet of sweat lingered on his forehead. It dripped down as the car made its way to the station. Tony thought about his last two wishes. He could use one of them to escape!  
He sighed looking up at the roof of the car. "Well what do I got to lose? I wish I could escape from this police car right now,"

Both of the policemen knew he couldn't wish himself out of the car. The one driving began slowing down as he entered a street market. He braked, but the brake seemed to be failing. He looked down and confirmed the malfunction.

"Brakes have failed!"

Before he could steer to safety, a horse drawn carriage turned to face them.

"Look out!" his partner screamed as the car span out of control. It hit everything in sight, carts of fruits, books, and other trinkets spilled out in front as the people bomb dived out of the way. Shrieks and squeals were trampled as the car finally stopped and hit a medic vehicle. Tony leaned on the car door and it magically opened up. He fell out but took the opportunity to pull his feet to the side and run off.

"Hey! Get back!" the two officers shouted at him as they were trapped due to the crushed front of the car and the air bags popped out. Tony escapes the ruined market place and runs to the forest edge of the park.

As Tony ran for his life while struggling with his handcuffs, he ran past a cart full of books that watched the destruction of the market. Wolf sensed Tony and with his arms filled with books, he ran after him thinking about the dog.

"Thank you, thank you!" he called after the lady not minding to pay for the cost.

She yelled angrily, "Wait! You haven't paid for those!"

_Money does not mean a thing to a wolf,_ he thought as books kept spilling. He wrapped a stronger grip as he ran after at half speed.

* * *

Virginia turned sharply at her sister and the dog in tow. "Look I cannot take you back where you came from because I don't know where you came from. No, this really is it, okay?" she yelled with her arms up.

Angelica rolled her eyes. She about to retort something when she saw someone(s) past the brush and running in this direction. The bushes and trees covered for them as they watched, their father in handcuffs running away from policemen and other people in the distance.

"Dad?" she said surprised as Tony Lewis hid behind the trees and bushes with his daughters and the dog.

He caught his breath. "You won't believe what had happened to me," he said. He nudged the two of them to hide further in and kneel while the police scan the edge for him.

"C'mon," he said wanting to get out of the handcuffs, get a beer, and live the rest of his life away from the law. A dog sat in between him and Angelica. "Is that the dog the guy wanted?"

"Dad, I don't think he's a dog. I don't know-"

Angelica interrupted. "He's trying to say something but I can't understand what he is saying. I wish I could understand him…"

Tony looked at his daughter as she pet the dog by his ears. He shook his head. "Alright, alright watch this. I wish we could understand everything this dog is saying," he gestured with his head Angelica and him.

Virginia asked, "What?" like he was a lunatic.

_"You're in terrible danger, both of you,"_ Prince said even though his mouth form the words like humans did. His mouth closed and his thoughts precise. He made a mental note to thank the human for finally understanding him later.

Angelica's eyes popped and her hand clasped over her mouth. Tony smiled in victory as he listened. Virginia, being the odd man out, thought they were both crazy as she couldn't hear anything.

"It worked!"

"I can't believe it," she whispered.

_"If you value your lives you must do exactly as I say,"_

Virginia decided to end this. "Dad-"

"Shh! What?" Tony tried to listen.

Angelica sat down on her knees and pulled her hand into almost petting his head. Prince met her half way there as he bumped his head on her soft hand. She smiled internally as she continued to pet the dog that she could communicate with.

_"We have to find the way back,"_

"What way back?" Angelica asked.

Tony said incredulous to his eldest, "He's talking! He's talking, can't you hear him?"

She crossed her arms sanely. "No. Why are they following you? And why are you in handcuffs?"

He bit his lip and looked back nervously at the police scene through the leaves. "They think I did a bank job,"

"What?" they chorused.

"I'll explain later," he grumbled.

Prince's head eyed Virginia and Tony. Angelica stopped petting him as he stood on all fours. _"Would you two stop rabbiting and help me look for the mirror. Now, it's a mirror but not on the other side. You have to look very, very carefully,"_

Searching around, Virginia found this whole thing insane but decided to follow her family and the dog leading at the head.

Tony explained to Virginia, "We're looking for a magic mirror,"

She snorted. "Yeah of course we are,"

Angelica left the area with her Dad. Trotting along with Prince she scanned the perimeter for anything. She found the grassland easily recognizable.

"This is where we hit you," she mentioned. She apologized. "Sorry,"

He snickered. _"It's alright, there are worst things imaginable,"_

"I still feel bad about it… even thought it was mostly Virginia's fault," she said slyly as her sister glared at her.

She retorted, "He jumped out of nowhere! And this is insane, we are talking to a _dog_,"

"Live a little, Virginia," she advised shutting her up.

_"Just look for a piece of forest that doesn't fit," _Prince asked. _"I'm sure this is where I- Look- There it is!" _

They all looked at where he pointed his eyes to. A glimmer of unfit piece of the forest waved like a gossamer web with fresh dew. An eerie blue tint added a glass like quality. Angelica wanted to feel this strange texture. She stepped forward but she stopped as grunts and yells from every direction became known.

Police found their hideout and are aiming at them. Those three strange troll-ish siblings are running with them and the guy that nearly ate their grandmother flopped along with a ton of books.

_"If you value your lives, follow me," _Prince said one last time before disappearing in the magic mirror.

All three Lewis' didn't know what to do. If they stayed, certain death and life time imprisonment is a guarantee but… if they followed Prince…

Angelica made her choice. "Dad, Sis, I'm going,"

"Hey! What? Aw, c'mon" their Dad stated as Angelica stepped in with a whirl of smells and colors flashing before her. It felt amazing to step out of a world she had known her entire life and actually live new sensations that she never thought existed. All that stopped quickly enough as her feet were back on the ground and opened to see a warehouse or basement of sorts.

Prince panted as he saw Angelica step through. She straightened her uniform thinking she could pick up an extra shift but to her dismay and fortune she didn't. Dad and Virginia followed after her. They looked around with her.

"Where the hell are we?" Tony asked bewildered.

Virginia spoke meekly. "I don't know but I'm pretty sure it's not Central Park,"

Angelica nodded. "That's evident…"

Prince said, _"Follow me,"_

Tony translated, "Dog said to follow him,"

There was a set of stairs out of the entrance and into a cafeteria of some sorts. Everything was brimstone and gravel. Dust filled the in between spaces and Angelica quickened her pace as paranoia lifted her happy state of mind.

She whispered, "Prince, where exactly are we?"

_"All in good time my lady," _he said in his posh nearly British tone? She found it adorable and manly enough for it to be a dog. She shivered as a gust of wind picked up around the cells.

"Prison? That's the last place Dad wants to be with handcuffs," she muttered to him as the two trucked behind them.

He laughed whole heartedly. _"Quite right, I suppose," _Prince turned around and called over to the two. _"Hurry up,"_

The café was the center of the building and wooden tables with creaky benches and an old fashioned double flooring overlooked the center of the hall. A grand scale of a map faced front and center to anyone. It had paintings and elegant structuring of towns and places. It was a fairy tale world and Angelica smiled at it. Two men were lying asleep at the tables covered in that familiar sparkling pink dust.

She went to inspect it when Prince warned her. _"Don't touch it! You could fall asleep," _

Retracting her hand she obeyed his warning and stepped away fm the puddles of the dust.

"What happened to everyone?" Tony asked wanting some answers.

Prince climbed onto a bench and sat his behind happily on it. "_Same thing that happened to you, ole chap. Troll dust,"_

"Troll dust?" she asked to herself.

"Looks likes it's wearing off," he gestured to the nudge the man was trying to attempt.

Virginia asked to herself and her Dad, "Is that dog talking again?" She felt out of the loop.

* * *

Minutes after the arrival back, the trolls descended back to the basement. One by one they zoomed out and perfectly felt fine even though a slight buzz from the running they attempted.

"If so, what shall we do with our own kingdom?" the sister asked stalking up the stairs.

Bluebell pointed a finger virtually nowhere. "Ahhh, I know, I know. We'll have servants. Thousands and thousands of servants to polish out shoes,"

* * *

Virginia said, "Dad? Let's go home,"

He paused. Hurriedly he tried to explain, "W-what? I can't go back yet; the police are swarming the park for me!"

She reasoned, "Well we can't stay here!"

Angelica sat next to Prince. He stiffened and picked up a scent. "Guys, something's wrong," she pointed to Prince.

_"Shh, I smell troll,"_

Tony gasped. "Quick!" he said hurrying his children and Prince at the farthest tables. They quickly concealed themselves underneath. Virginia hung onto her sister as her foot slid out into view. She helped her re-balance and watch as the three trolls walk out laughing.

"Yes, we'll have footwear parties where you have to change shoes six times an hour!" the tallest one said laughing with his siblings.

"And anyone found having dirty shoes will have their face pruned up!" Their rouge laughter echoed in the hall like nails on chalkboard. Angelica held to her ears before she peeled them off.

Prince checked to see if they were safe. Deciding it was, he alerted the crew, _"Come along then. Follow me," _He wanted to get out and find help as soon as possible disregarding the fact he was a dog.

Tony stopped him as they crossed the enlarged map of the 'Nine Kingdoms'. "Hold on, wait a second I'm not gonna follow you. Where are we?"

_"Argh," _Prince urged as he sat down to tell them his woeful tale. Sitting his but back down on a bench, he eyed Angelica touching the map of his Fourth Kingdom. She studied it intensely with a sort of childish gleam in her eye. He internally smiled as she touched the drawing of a sketch of his castle.

_"We are in the southern most part of my kingdom. Where I was attacked by my stepmother and was turned into a dog. This is the Snow White Memorial Prison, housing the most dangerous criminals in all of the Nine Kingdoms,"_ he explained to the best of his abilities.

Angelica stood in awe as she stared at the dog standing on two legs with his front paws in the air like he was regal. She blushed as another thought hit her. _Did I just sleep with a Prince?_ She thought humorously thinking about the night at grandmother's house. She shook all nasty thoughts out of her head as the rest of her family listened to the raveling of what would be a fairytale story.


	5. Chapter 5

The 10th Kingdom – Chapter 5: The 'Royal' Treatment

* * *

Tony held a hand to back up. Both of his daughters looked at the map with interest. He forgot about them wanting to know what kind of trick or joke he was in. "Alright, back up. The Nine what?"

Prince tried to stand up on two legs like a show dog would at a tournament for amusement. He regained a little of his authority figure as he did so. _"Kingdoms. I am Prince Wendell, grandson of the late Snow White and soon to be crowned King of the Fourth Kindgom. And um, who might you be?"_

"I'm Tony Lewis, janitor," he said. He gestured with his hands tied up. "And I think you already know my daughters Virginia and Angelica,"

Prince nodded as his eyes lingered on Angelica till tracing the symbols and names of the map. "It's beautiful…" she whispered as her fingertips brushed past the Snow White Memorial's mini picture and the following outline villages.

_"Thank you,"_ he said smugly.

Virginia looked at the labeled Second and Third Kingdom. The Third Kingdom had ugly depictures of trolls and the hazy fog of beanstalks The Second Kingdom was all forest with wolves and pictures right out of a Candyland game. "Troll Kingdom? Red Riding Hood Forest?" she asked herself.

"Wait, hold on a second. So what is this? Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty fairy tale stuff?" Tony demanded.

_"Well the Golden Age was over two hundred years ago when the Ladies you refer to had their great moments in history. Things have gone down a bit since. Happy ever after didn't last long as we'd hoped,"_ he replied sadly. _"All the other rulers are due to attend my coronation. Some will have to travel great distances. The Kingdoms are vast; no one had crossed the borders except on special occasions,"_

Angelica listened while looking around. "They are big, the Kingdoms. Judging by this scale, it's probably as big as North America,"

Prince puffed his chest. _"Why yes, thank you Miss Angelica. The Nine Kingdoms take pride in their morals and loyalty to each subject in unity,"_

Tony cut the chat. "Who is the stepmother that turned you into a dog?"

_"She is the most dangerous and evil woman alive," _

Tony let in, "That sounds like my mother-in-law,"

Virginia hit him on the shoulder. He shrunk back. "Grandmother is kind and done a lot for us," Virginia said hesitantly knowing some was not true.

"Says you," grumbled Tony.

Prince rolled his eyes and motioned for them to follow. His nose nudged Angelica out of her trance. It was time to go but Angelica would rather stay gazing at the map. She smiled and followed after him closely.

"C'mon!" she called after them.

_"Look we can't sit around and talk all day. We must find my stepmother's cell," _Prince urged.

* * *

Wolf picked up his pace and ran through the mirror. Before he could open his eyes or relax, he was back at the prison- the last place he wanted to be. He followed his nose and could detect dog. His nose burned with the smell of troll. He held a hand on his nose and waved it off. He turned to the glimmering mirror. Touching the frame, his fingers brushed past any swirling stones for a way to turn the mirror off.

A hollowed out space on a large swirling etching allowed his wrist and fingers to turn the stone and shut off the traveling mirror. All that left him was an ordinary mirror with a reflected image of Wolf. He fixed his hair quickly before running out of the basement for the dog.

* * *

Prince followed his gut instinct and the signs where the Maximum Security wing would be. Down the empty hallway he detected traces of his stepmother with the dog his body took over.

_"Look!"_ he said running into the empty bunk and cell. _"There's a dog bowl here. That's the dog that's got my body! Outrageous!" _

Virginia entered first followed by her sister and father. Her head felt like someone smashed a brick on it. She soothed her head to the best of her abilities but it didn't feel like it as she had a strange feeling overwhelm her. "What did she do, this woman?"

Angel felt the same overpowering feeling on her. Her gut wrenched at the sight and touches of the cell. She took to a wall and propped an arm on it.

Prince explained with hidden anger. _"She poisoned my mother and father, tried to kill me as well,"_

Angel found herself wanting to escape and then breathe. She didn't want to worry her dad or her sister. Even though she thought Virginia felt the same gut-wrenching feeling.

Tony translated for Virginia. "Um, basically poisoned mom and dad, tried to kill him too. Virginia, Angelica you two alright?" Tony noticed his two daughters feeling strange and looked in pain. Prince's ears pricked looking at the two sisters. His eyes wandered over the area picking up new scents.

Virginia recovered quicker than her sister. "Yeah I just feel weird in here,"

"Okay?" he turned to his younger daughter.

"We're just gonna wait out here," Angel reassured. The two siblings walked out slowly.

"You okay?" she mouthed to her sister.

Virginia nodded leading out. _"Hmm, trolls have been here," _Prince commented. Neither of the sisters could hear it because of the surging headache coming on.

Tony warned them like any worrisome parent. "Okay, just don't go too far. Stay outside the door,"

Not a moment after, pink dust sailed through the air and onto the duo. Falling fast asleep and on the ground. Troll laughter heard through, the door closed on Tony before he could help his daughters.

"No! Virginia! Angelica! Prince, Prince!" he called trying to break the door down.

Prince hid underneath the small bunk and then crawled out. _"I-I wasn't scared! People can't see me as a dog, it's deeply, deeply embarrassing,"_

Tony yelled, "I could care less about you being a dog! Virginia! Angelica!" Tony banged his head on the door knowing he messed up and he had to do everything to get them back before something worse off happened.

* * *

The Queen eyed down from a far off mountain down on the Snow White Memorial Prison, her home for the last seven years. Well no longer now. She growled under breath realizing she overstayed her visit at the moment.

"Where are they? Never should have trusted trolls to do anything," she complained.

Relish came to snide back by her side. "Be careful what you say. I'm the only reason why you got out of prison in the first place," he noted with a side of threats underway.

The Queen bowed her head in respect. For now, she needed the cooperation of the Troll King and getting off the wrong foot simply won't do. "Of course Your Majesty and for that I'm eternally grateful. But I can't stay any longer, no one can see the Prince like this," she gestured to the fake Prince Wendell on the ground chasing his non-existent tail by the carriage. The footmen cocked an eyebrow at the strange behavior.

The Queen arranged for all the servants Wendell had attended with were loyalists to her new order. And any toes out of line were submitted to her will and the threat of murdered wives and children.

She fixed her green velvet hood. "Have your children bring the dog to me when they return,"

"I am not your lackey!" he announced. "I am Relish the Troll King! You do well to remember that," he threatened. The Queen did not take threats well but for now, her plan must be set in motion before any arguing would take place.

As politely as she could, she said, "Of course Your Majesty and I will reward you handsomely with half of Wendell's kingdom as I promised,"

"Just exactly when do I get it?" Greed in his filthy eyes.

"Soon. But now I'm must go, I have stayed for too long already," she promised. She walked to the carriage. "Oh get in the carriage!" she reprimanded with a slap to the Prince's head. He whimpered before getting in.

Relish laughed as she took her seat. "Where are you going? There's nowhere were you can hide. When they find out you've escaped, they'll be roadblocks everywhere, they'll search every house and carriage in the kingdom,"

The Queen hid herself in her hood. She smirked sitting back. "Not every carriage,"

* * *

The three trolls high tailed out of there with Virginia and Angelica still knocked out. Burly carried Virginia; Bluebell carried Angelica. With their brute strength, they walked off with two prizes, finding a transportation to carry all of them.

"Shouldn't we go back for the dog?" Burly asked.

Blabberwort shook it off. "No, we can't! The troll dust will be wearing off," True enough alarms rang off out of nowhere. Blabberwort pointed off. "Wait a minute, do you hear that? They're all waking up! Let's get out of here,"

"But the Queen will be very angry,"

Bluebell snorted. "Oh, the Queen can suck an elf for all I care. We've captured the witches of the Tenth Kingdom! Let's go tell Dad,"

The precautious Burly attempted one last time. "What about the witches' father? Maybe he's some sort of great warlock?"

Blabberwort ended her elder brother's fears. "He's handcuffed!"

Burly laughed it off with the others. "Pray an idiot for all we know,"

"I wish I could be there when the governor finds us they're in the Queen's cell. Haha!"

* * *

All too soon Burly was right. The jailers brought the convicted Tony and muzzled Prince to the dreaded warden, the Governor. His office stank torture and decay. Torture devices lay in the corner where webs should have been. He was a built-like-a-tank kind of man. He had thin buzzed white hair, clean dark uniform, and carried a black cane with a metal skull at the tip.

Tony gulped but had the confidence he can sort all this out. He seemed to be a reasonable man; never judge a book by its cover… or eerie grin.

"What are you doing? I've got to find-" Tony said as an officer in uniform tightened his grasp and drag him to the front and center.

The man apologized to his superior of his disappearance. "Some kinds of spell, me and the lads have been asleep for a day! Searched every inch of the prison but the Queen's gone Sir,"

The Governor leant forward behind his desk looking extremely intimidating. "I have been the Governor of this prison for twelve years. No prisoner has ever escaped before," He shook his head. His teeth grinded together eyeing the man and his strange clothing.

"That's a very impressive record," Tony winced hoping to sugar coat it.

Prince laid down on the ground overlooking the men from below. His muzzle forbad him to bark. He advised Tony, _"Whatever you do, Anthony don't tell him I'm a dog!"_

Tony answered to the dog, "Why not?"

A jailer lashed at his cuffs and brought Tony's attention back. "Speak when you're spoken to!"

_"Because the Queen has some terrible plan; my whole Kingdom may be in jeopardy. No one must know I'm helpless,"_ he said feebly.

The Governor stood right in front of Tony. He cracks his knuckles and makes a fist with one holding it to the side. "Alright. Where is the Queen?"

Tony wished he was somewhere else. He decided to wish it! Closing his eyes, he whispered to himself, "I wish I was home, I wish Virginia and Angelica and I were back in our apartment in New York now!"

No green mist or magical surroundings changed. The bean he swallowed jumped but not for a wish. It traveled up from his stomach, undigested. Tony choked. He coughed and then when he thought the worst, he spit out the bean on the Governor's desk. It was flat and no longer swollen. It looked like a bean instead of what he had seen before.

The Governor said, "Well it seems you're not,"

Prince replied, _"Oh no, Anthony you didn't swallow a dragon dung bean, you moron," _

"Guess that means I've had all my wishes then," he murmured.

The Governor snapped for an answer. "How did the Queen escape?!"

"I'm telling you I have no idea!" he said truthfully.

"Then why were you found locked up in her empty cell?!" he shouted at the victim.

Tony panicked and decided to lay down everything. "I am an innocent victim, I've never been in trouble with the police my entire life!"

The Governor and his allies smirked. "Then why are you wearing handcuffs?"

Tony winced remembering the New York incident. "Well because I'm wanted for a felony of robbery. Which I didn't do!" he slid over.

_"Carry on, Anthony. You're doing spectacularly well so far,"_ Prince added sarcastically.

He was struggling and he glared at the dog. "Look, look I'm from a different dimension. I came here from a different dimension by this dog. Who's actually Prince Wendell!"

_"I told you not to say that!"_

The Governor laughed dryly. "Prince Wendell? Look, I can make you break rocks with your teeth for a hundred years," he said using his cane to tap his teeth menacingly.

"I'm telling you it's the truth," he pleaded.

Annoyed, he responded, "That is the Queen's dog. She has been permitted to keep him in her cell for three years. Don't insult my intelligence,"

Tony begged, "I'm not, I'm telling your it's the tru- Alright. Fine I'll prove it. Bark once if I'm telling the truth!" He turned to his only hope- Prince. He looked boredly at him.

_"I have no intentions of barking, Anthony,"_

Tony scoffed, "He is just being stubborn!" He told him, "Listen you have to let me go, I think my daughters were abducted by trolls!"

The Governor whipped his cane hard on the desk, sick of this deceitful man. He looked at his books filled with convicts and their rooms and crimes. "That's enough! I'll get the truth out of you soon enough. Warder remove is handcuffs. Issue him a prison uniform and put him in…Yes, put him in #103 with Acorn the Dwarf and Clayface the Goblin," A grinning Warden eyed the prisoner as he was being taken away.

A warder asked the superior, "What about the Queen's dog, Sir?"

He instructed, "Turn up the furnace. I'll slip in some rat poison in his dinner tonight. Then we'll chuck him in the incinerator, tomorrow,"

Prince whined. He made one last reply to Tony before he was removed from the premises. _"Did you hear that, Anthony? Did you hear that? You have to get me out, it's your duty,"_ he said with urgency.

* * *

The trolls found a boat by the river about to be taken. Blabberwort cackled and found the man in charge of the boat.

"That's my boat!"

"Ours now!" she laughed as she pushed him in. His screams were joyous to the trolls' ears. Securing the luggage of the girls, they took off in the boat with some struggle amongst the proper way to wore the boat with oars.

Wolf watched the skirmish among the trolls before hopped in a similar boat with no one occupying it. He had to catch up and get to the girls then find the dog later. He rowed in the shadows as the trolls became too concerned about themselves.

* * *

Tony wore the dull gray uniform that smelt like day(s) old tuna fish. He was un-cuffed and shoved into the cell. The jailer laughed. "Middle bunk," he grumbled as he shut and locked the door.

There were three bunks stacked on top of one another. A little ladder was built for the upper layers. Not much was around the cell except the poster of a painted portrait of Prince Wendell in human form. The words beneath read, _Work hard and honestly!_ Tony rolled his eyes as he made his way into the bunk hoping sleeping it off will get him out of this nightmare.

A tiny man voice interrupted his process of sleeping. "So what are you in for?"

Tony rolled to his side. The person was from underneath and he decided to toughen up if he was going to jail, even though his crime was back talking according to the Governor.

He lowered his voice, "Um, actually a pretty serious bank robbery. Couple people got hurt. But that's the way it goes. You?"

A little person with a bigger head or he guessed helmet that shaped into a metallic acorn. He had scars all on his little face. He was a dwarf! He didn't know how a dwarf –from what he read in the fairy tales- could land up in prison? His one good eye was beady and glared at the man.

"Aggravate assault. I'm very easily aggravated," he said with some aggression laced in. "I'm Acorn, got any metal on ya? Knives, forks, coat hangers?"

Tony shrugged and awkwardly answered, "Sorry,"

He nodded not stopping his glare. "If you get stabbed, be sure to save the knife for me,"

Tony nodded not wanting to upset him. "Of course?"

He disappeared to the lower bunk. Then the voice from above spoke. Tony laughed to himself at how many surprises he had today. He wiped his face hoping whoever it was wouldn't kill him in his sleep.

"Do ya like carving?"

Odd question but Tony answered. "Well like flesh or anything?"

"Look what I am doing!"

A green hand with equally green warts popped into his vision. His face dropped as he had in his green hand a bar of lumpy soap. He was carving something and luckily Tony didn't have to explain the disgusted confused face he wore to his other bunk buddy.

"Uh… you've got real talent?"

The man came down. He was a goblin, but tall for one. Clayface the Goblin had green skin and bumps all over. He was lanky and not strong enough to live up to the goblin name.

"My name is Clayface the Goblin,"

"Tony," he replied. "What are you in for?"

"Carving," Tony shuddered to think what he meant. "Will you be my friend?" he suddenly asked. Tony wanted out of this loony bin faster than anything on four wheels or jets. He needed to be with _ordinary people_. He offered a fake smile not wanting his face carved sort of like Acorn's.

"What exactly does that intend?"

* * *

In Beantown, a crowd gathered by the town's center stage. The mayor, jovial and fat with happiness, eagerly waited for the Prince's arrival. His day late approach sent the town questioning his lateness. The mayor kept a smile on his face while on the inside shriveled with panic.

He reassured his people. "Any minute now, I'm sure Prince Wendell will arrive to receive the coronation throne, which our craftsmen have tirelessly worked on for two years," he stressed gesturing to the two years worked on ornate golden throne for Prince Wendell.

"He's not coming, isn't he?" said a doubtful peasant.

The mayor disagreed, "Of course he is, have no worry. I'm sure he's been delayed for a very good reason,"

A villager arrived out of breath through the crowd. "Terrible news!" he cried out. He talked with the mayor. "There's been a break out in the prison! The Queen has escaped,"

Gasps and short panic-filled squeals surrounded the crowd as they whispered to one another about the Queen's break-out. Panic erupted the over-stressed mayor in his decorated suit for the occasion. He stood by his podium besides himself. The craftsmen behind him were debating to hide the chair until further notice in case she stopped by Beantown.

"The Queen? The Queen! Put up the roadblocks! She must be caught or we're doomed," the Mayor instructed.

"Wonderful news!" A different man rushed through with a smile on his face. "Hey! Wonderful news, wonderful news! Prince Wendell is coming!"

The crowd whispered more between the two gossip pieces and the Mayor visibly released a sigh. "Thank goodness! He'll know what to do,"

Another minute past and true to the gentleman's words, a carriage draped in red, white, and golden appeared with the Prince waving his hand and his tongue lolling out of his mouth? The Mayor welcomed him over the yells and cheers from the crowd.

"Welcome to Beantown-" he stopped as the carriage continued down the road not bothering to stop or brake to speak to the people. The crowd continued to cheer until the drive by made villagers lessen their voices and back to the confusion and whispers.

Inside the coach, the Queen hid herself well and chuckled to herself how silly and ignorant the fools were to let the coach by without inspecting it. _All according to plan,_ she hummed in her thoughts happily.


	6. Chapter 6

*****AUTHOR'S NOTICE*****

* * *

**Officially, this story is on hold until further notice. Due to some... "technical aspects" I'm moving on to other stories for several reasons. The first is because I do not have a perfect recording or any sort of script available at my disposal. It's much harder for me to find a Youtube video, play and pause thousands of times for just ten minutes of the video. Since I'm not tech savvy as others are, I'm going to have to wait like a normal person and find an alternative route on my own time.**

**Second, in response to reviews: Yes I do plan to continue someday AND extend past the original plotline. That was the plan from the start. In fact I had everything plotted out once the show was "done" to make up my own story. As a fan of this show ever since it's inception, I want to capture the way the writers did that made it such a great series. It's extremely hard to re-create a masterpiece such as this because I'm NOT one of the screenwriters. I knew taking on this project would be a challenge and a risk from the moment I started to pen this. (Yes, people still write on pen and paper when it comes to this)**

**Last little point is that no story is perfect obviously. In no way am I justifying my work as the best in the universe and so on. I wrote the majority of this months prior writing AFL so I know it's rough draft. My original character cannot be instantly filed as a replacement for Virginia because there's only been 5 chapters so far. This 10K story is in her perspective, not Virginia. Which I could see why others might see her as a replaced character but it wouldn't matter. There was a planned 40+ chapters devoted to character building throughout the series. To see readers out there assuming what the writer's every move is wrong. You don't them as they don't know you. That's the beauty of writing. It keeps you guessing at times; its what makes reading and writing worth while. ****One day I will make Angelica the best I can write about. Just not the right time.**

**FYI for reviewers: Calling a story "pathetic and weak plot" is not constructive criticism. Don't like it, don't review. Plain and simple.**

**On a simpler note, I do hope you continue reading the other stories I plan on writing soon. AFL just ended. Might be thinking of a sequel. BTTEBM is a work in progress and still working out some minor details but should be up and running. Other than that, happy holidays!**

**- From the Desk of Radiolover1029**


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